Trapped Canadian miners rescued

The men are said to be in good health

Rescuers in Canada have brought to the surface all of the 72 miners forced to take refuge in safety rooms after a fire broke out at their mine.

The fire had been extinguished earlier, but the rescuers had to wait until the tunnels were cleared of toxic fumes to bring the miners out.

Company officials said all the men were in good health.

The accident happened at 0300 (0900 GMT) on Sunday in Esterhazy, in the central Saskatchewan province.

'Scary'

When the fire broke out, about 40 of the miners were able to contact the surface and report that they were safe.

But they were concerns for another 30 who could not be reached by radio.

You sit and wait and you wonder... and there's nothing you can do Rayanne Hogshaw sister of trapped miner

Once the fire was brought under control, some 20 hours later, rescue teams were able to make contact with the other group and establish they were all safe.

"We have had fires underground but none that we can remember that have been this tricky," Marshall Hamilton, head of human resources at the potash mine, said before the men surfaced.

The sister of one of the trapped workers said waiting for news had been nerve-wracking.

"Lots of tears. Lots of sitting and waiting. Praying. It's pretty scary. I know myself, my brother has two little boys at home and a fiancee, and you sit and wait and you wonder. And there's nothing you can do," Rayanne Hogshaw said.