XIANGGANG (Hong Kong), October 25 (RIA Novosti) - Three coalminers who were trapped underground for more than eight days in northwest China were safely pulled out by rescue workers on Sunday, official news agency Xinhua reported.

Three miners were among 27 workers in the Yongxing Gaozhuang Coal Mine in the northwest Shaanxi province when a shaft collapsed on October 17. The other 24 miners had managed to escape, Xinhua said.

"The three found a site with good ventilation and clean water for drinking, which helped them to sustain for six days until rescuers managed to drill a channel to deliver food and drinking water to them on October 22," Xinhua said.

All the three men were in stable condition after their rescue. Medical staff immediately wrapped them up with thick coats and rushed them to a hospital, Xinhua said.

The privately-owned coalmine has all necessary licenses. It covers about 3.74 square kilometers and has about 15 million tons of coal in reserves, Xinhua said.

The coal industry in energy-hungry China is one of the most dangerous in the world due to poor work safety standards and intensive work schedule. According to official data, some 7,000 lives are lost annually in accidents at coalmines.