Trapped US miners alive

As contact was made, rescuers strained to hear voices

Officials in Pennsylvania say nine coalminers trapped underground in a water-logged chamber for three days are alive.

The state governor, Mark Schweiker, made the announcement at a press conference.

It's a miracle all nine are alive

Governor Mark Schweiker

"All nine are alive", he said, calling the news "an incredible development".

He said the men were believed to be "in pretty good shape" and their families had been informed.

Confirmation that the men had survived came shortly after emergency crews drilled through to the cavity where the men are trapped, some 235 feet (70 metres) below ground.

Click here to see where the miners are trapped

Emergency workers had pumped compressed air into the chamber in the hope of enabling any survivors to breathe.

No communication of any kind had been received from the men since Thursday.

Final stage

The drill bit penetrated the chamber at 2220 EDT on Saturday (0220 GMT Sunday).

There was jubilation when rescuers heard the men were alive

More than 100 relatives of the trapped men were gathered at a nearby Red Cross shelter, anxiously waiting for news about their loved ones.

The miners, aged between 30 and 55, have been entombed since Wednesday.

The chamber was flooded with millions of litres of water but rescuers have managed to drain much of the mine and the men are believed to be in an air lock.

Collapsed wall

The accident happened about 55 miles (90 kilometres) south-east of Pittsburgh on Wednesday night when the wall of a nearby disused mine collapsed, sending 50 million gallons (189 million litres) of water into the shaft in which the men were digging for coal.

The past three days have been extremely tense

Nine other miners were able to escape, wading through knee-deep water for hours to reach safety.

Emergency teams dug two escape shafts down towards where the men are trapped.

They began digging a back-up shaft after a huge drill bit jammed in the first shaft, but work on the second shaft was also beset by mechanical problems.

The drill bit was eventually dislodged, delaying the rescue operation by several crucial hours.

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