124: Chapter 124 A Glimmer of Hope

County Magistrate Zhang Yuansong felt that what Qin Chuan said made a lot of sense.

Wouldn't a simple phone call reveal whether a water inrush accident had occurred?

Even at this moment, he didn't think it could be a serious accident; if it were a major water inrush, County Magistrate Zhou Tiansheng would certainly have reported it to him, the top official, immediately.

He picked up his phone, dialed County Magistrate Zhou Tiansheng's number, and called him directly.

"County Magistrate Zhou, has something happened at the Jiangjiachong Coal Mine?"

Only then did County Magistrate Zhou Tiansheng tell the truth. Looking miserable, he first apologized, "Secretary Zhang, I was so busy that I forgot to report to you immediately. A water inrush accident occurred at the Jiangjiachong Coal Mine. Over twenty miners were flooded; they have likely all drowned."

What!

County Magistrate Zhang Yuansong felt as if the sky were collapsing!

That was over twenty human lives!!!

At the same time, he was furious. This County Magistrate Zhou Tiansheng had actually failed to report such a major incident to him, the top official, immediately.

Qin Chuan's hearing was good, and he heard the content of the phone call clearly.

Compared to County Magistrate Zhang Yuansong, his reaction was much calmer, and he didn't panic. He suggested, "Secretary Zhang, the most urgent task is that we must immediately rush to the Jiangjiachong Coal Mine to direct the rescue!"

"Right, Qin Chuan is right!"

After a brief moment of panic, County Magistrate Zhang Yuansong also calmed down. He waved his hand and said, "Let's go, we must rush to the Jiangjiachong Coal Mine as fast as possible!"

The car ride, which should have taken at least twenty minutes, took only a dozen minutes.

As soon as they arrived at the coal mine, County Magistrate Zhang Yuansong asked with a serious face, "What exactly happened? Who knows the situation best? I want to hear a report on the situation!"

Mine Director Jiang Liangcai gave a somewhat flustered report.

After listening, County Magistrate Zhang Yuansong was clearly unsatisfied.

Qin Chuan also felt that this report was very perfunctory, almost as if no report had been given at all. He felt slightly angry; such a major incident had occurred, and yet this Mine Director Jiang Liangcai hadn't even figured out the situation.

Consequently, Qin Chuan asked, "How many people are trapped in total? Do you have a list?"

"This..."

Mine Director Jiang Liangcai scratched his head. He really didn't have one. Up until now, they had only arranged for water pumps to drain the water, and there was no specific list of trapped miners.

Qin Chuan was very angry and said loudly, "Who knows the situation? We urgently need a list of the trapped personnel. I want to know their specific situation!"

Finally, the mine's safety officer stepped forward and reported, "Secretary Qin, I have already compiled the statistics. When the accident occurred, there were a total of 127 people working underground. 103 people safely ascended the shaft, and 24 people are trapped below!"

After reporting, he tore a piece of paper from his notebook, on which were written the names of the 24 people, as well as each person's age, years of service, position, and so on.

Qin Chuan took it and glanced at it. The oldest was 54 years old, having worked in the coal mine for over thirty years, and his position was production squad leader.

After glancing at this list, Qin Chuan gave it to County Magistrate Zhang Yuansong and then said loudly, "Water has been pumped for over three hours; how much has the water level gone down?"

The safety officer answered again.

"Reporting to Secretary Qin, up to now, there has been no significant change in the water level; it has not gone down much."

Hearing this, Qin Chuan's expression turned grave.

Several high-power water pumps had been pumping for over three hours, and the water level hadn't changed much. This meant that draining the water from the mine would be a very difficult task, potentially taking many days.

Qin Chuan reminded him, "Secretary Zhang, relying solely on pumping water will likely not be enough. We must think of other methods."

County Magistrate Zhang Yuansong nodded.

At this moment, County Magistrate Zhou Tiansheng spoke up, "We have basically thought of all the methods we can think of. The only way is to pump water; we need to bring in more, higher-power water pumps and pump water day and night without stopping."

After finishing, he added, "Secretary Zhang, I think those 24 miners basically have no hope. Let's unify our opinion: we won't report it for now. We will wait until the bodies are recovered and the aftermath is handled before we report it. As for the number of casualties, let's not exceed 3."

Hearing this suggestion, County Magistrate Zhang Yuansong hesitated a little.

Covering up was one way, but the risk was huge.

If someone leaked it and the higher-ups found out, it would be he, County Magistrate Zhang Yuansong, who would be punished.

But if he reported it truthfully, it would be a major accident. Although he was not the primary person responsible, he would still be implicated.

He couldn't make up his mind.

Qin Chuan's thinking was very clear, and he immediately opposed it, "Covering it up is absolutely impossible. Secretary Zhang, I suggest you call and report the accident immediately. It has been over three hours since the incident; if we don't report it and the higher-ups find out, our county will be punished."

County Magistrate Zhou Tiansheng's face changed, and he said sternly, "Secretary Qin, what do you mean by this? If such a thing is reported, none of us will have a good outcome. The best way is to handle it internally!"

Qin Chuan smiled coldly.

Even at this point, they were still thinking about a cover-up.

Qin Chuan countered, "If you don't report it, then I will make this call."

County Magistrate Zhang Yuansong finally made up his mind and said decisively, "It cannot be covered up; it must be reported truthfully!"

After saying this, he first dialed the phone of Secretary Guo Shunmin of the Municipal Party Committee to report the accident, and then he reported it to the relevant higher-level departments.

With this call made, the entire Handong Province was shaken.

Provincial Party Secretary Qin Zhendong was attending a meeting in the capital. After receiving the report, he immediately gave instructions: rescue at all costs. As long as there is even a one-percent hope, we must make a one-hundred-percent effort; we cannot give up.

Many leaders were rushing over, including provincial leaders.

At the Jiangjiachong Coal Mine.

Qin Chuan had already gathered the miners who had successfully ascended the shaft to ask about the situation when the incident occurred.

"Who among you knows best? What was the situation with those twenty-some coworkers when the incident happened!"

One miner raised his hand, "I know relatively well. I was not far from them. At that time, the water force was very fierce. Originally, they were running towards us, but there wasn't enough time, so they turned and ran in another direction."

"When fleeing, I looked back and saw them running towards the No. 2 roadway. The No. 2 roadway is an escape route; it slopes upwards, and its position is relatively high. There is a Refuge Chamber at the end of the roadway. If they could escape there, they shouldn't have drowned."

This was good news!

Qin Chuan's eyes lit up slightly, "Secretary Zhang, perhaps those twenty-some miners have already escaped to the Refuge Chamber and are currently waiting for our rescue."

Really?

County Magistrate Zhang Yuansong's eyes also lit up.

County Magistrate Zhou Tiansheng also looked over, full of hope. If these miners hadn't drowned, and if they could all be rescued, then his position as County Magistrate could be saved.