A rescuer works at the Hushan gold mine Tuesday after an explosion left 22 miners trapped underground in Qixia, East China’s Shandong province.

Rescue workers on Tuesday drill a tunnel in an attempt to reach the trapped miners.

Hundreds of rescue workers have been sent to the mine in an effort to save the 22 miners.

A rescuer uses a flashlight to check out what’s going on underground.

Rescuers rest near the mine.

Two local officials were fired for taking more than a day to report the explosion as they were required to do so within an hour.