Most of the survivors were found on a platform where rescuers had drilled a hole to the surface last week to provide air, according to America’s ABC News.

Some of the miners reportedly resorted to eating saw dust, tree bark and drinking the murky water, while others used their belts to hang from the shaft walls so they did not fall into the water while sleeping.

With most of the trapped miners rescued by Monday night, Xinhua reported that 60 of the last 115 rescued were transferred to big city hospitals for better medical treatment.

On March 28 there were 261 people underground at the mine, which was under construction, when workers digging a tunnel broke into an abandoned shaft filled with water, flooding the colliery.

Right after the accident 108 workers were lifted to the surface.

Rescuers steadily removed water each day using at least six pumps.