Anguished relatives of Chinese coal miners trapped in flooded shafts clashed with managers on Monday to demand information, but hopes for the 181 men faded after another day of efforts to pump the mines dry.
The disaster in the eastern coastal province of Shandong is the latest to strike China's coal mines, which -- with over 2,000 people killed in the first seven months of this year along -- are the world's deadliest.
The miners have been trapped since Friday when a burst river dyke sent water rushing into two shafts. Rescuers hold out little hope of survival for many, if not all, of the men who could not outpace the torrent -- 172 in a main shaft and nine in one nearby.
Drilling equipment from a nearby oil field was being installed to help rescuers, and water pumps from neighbouring provinces were sent to the site.
By Monday afternoon, the water level in the main 860-metre (2,800 feet) deep pit had dropped by 21.5 metres (70 feet) from its peak, Xinhua reported. Hopes that trapped miners have survived are "extremely faint," it said.
Five or so men demanding word about trapped relatives stormed offices of the Huayuan Mining Co, which they said had not been telling families what was happening.
"We can't wait anymore," they yelled before rushing into the offices, smashing windows in a confrontation with officials they said had promised, but not given, regular information.
"Now I'm only getting information from the Internet and television. I want the company to brief us everyday at a set venue," said one of the protesting men, Zhang Chunling, who said his brother was still missing underground.
Only a day before the disaster, province safety officials meeting in Xintai discussed the threat of floods in coal mines and singled out the area where Friday's disaster took place, showing that officials knew of seasonal risks from heavy rains.
