Bodies of 7 Chinese workers trapped in collapsed tunnel recovered

Beijing, Sep 20 (IANS) Rescuers have recovered the bodies of seven persons who were trapped for over a week in a collapsed expressway tunnel in China's Guizhou province, officials said on Tuesday.

The seven men were working underground when the tunnel collapsed at around 3 p.m. on September 13.

The recovery of the bodies ended the seven-day rescue mission where more than 700 rescue personnel were sent to save the trapped people, Xinhua news agency reported.

The incident occurred after heavy rain caused over 20,000 cubic metres of mud to flood the tunnel, said rescue headquarters.

The tunnel is part of work to upgrade the expressway linking the two counties of Zhijin and Puding in Guizhou province.