Rescuers at the collapsed gypsum mine in Pingyi County, east China's Shandong Province, have started testing a capsule, which they hope can be used to save a group of miners who've been trapped underground since Christmas Day.

Two huge bore holes have have been drilled in the southwest section of the mine to reach the miners who are over 220 metres below the surface.

Du Bingjian with the National Mine Emergency Rescue Center said they've been working on the last few meters very slowly to make sure the place where the miners are doesn't fill with water.

"We've stop drilling the remaining 20 meters until a bigger hole is completed. We've also created a borehole in case of cave-ins and for water seepage. When the bigger hole is completed, we can put down a rescue capsule to gather the trapped miners at the bottom of the hole."

Xie Tao, a rescue expert from the company that made the capsule, Sany Heavy Industry, explained what would happen if problems occured during the rescue operation.

"Its function is that when trouble occurs during the lifting process, making it impossible to lift it back up to the ground, the rescued person may use this slow-descending device to go back down the shaft to attempt a secondary escape. The bottom is a device for secondary escape. A slight stamp on the floor, and it will drop to the bottom for the secondary escape. "

The 4 miners the rescuers are attempting to reach, are said to be in stable condition. They are located separately from another 13, who crews are yet to be in contact with.

The collapse happened on Christmas Day with one person killed and 17 other miners trapped underground.

Four escaped, and seven have been rescued so far.

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