The ongoing efforts to rescue trapped miners continued to capture the attention of the mainstream media today.
Yesterday’s papers hailed the “miraculous” rescue of nine of the miners, who were became trapped underground when their mine in Wangjialing, Shanxi Province, flooded on March 28. By yesterday evening that number had risen to 115, a fact that was displayed prominently on the front page of most of today’s newspapers.
Even a paper like the New Life Post, which devoted most of its front-page real estate to other stories like a guide to the new iPad or a BMW-driving People’s Congress representative who killed four people and injured six others, found the number worthy of a top headline.
As it often does, the People’s Daily found a different angle for its rare all-text front page:
Major Progress Made in Rescue Effort for 3-28 Wangjialing Mine Flood
Hu Jintao, Wen Jiabao Order All Energy to be Put Toward Rescue and Medical Treatment
Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao extended their regards to those rescued and paid tribute to the rescuers. They ordered the front-line rescue command continue to work tirelessly to expand the rescue work, to put all its energy into finding ways to rescue those still trapped as soon as possible, and to provide medical treatment those workers already rescued.
It is only in the body of the article that we find the actual news that 115 of 153 trapped miners had been rescued as of yesterday afternoon (as of this afternoon, no additional rescues have been made but five bodies have been discovered).
The inspirational front-page editorial underneath reaches a climax with the following lines:
The miraculous rescue stems from a coordinated fight by all of society. An emergency mobilization across Shanxi Province brought large-scale pumping equipment to Wangjiling; a rescue squad 3,000 strong went into action; outstanding medical personnel and relief specialists stood awaiting orders; the narrative of this amazing, miraculous rescue shows once again the tremendous superiority of the socialist system, the noble quality of the Chinese people toward unity and friendship, and the indomitable heroic spirit of the Chinese nation.
- People’s Daily (Chinese): Writing a miraculous rescue