Lai Yuanping, an earthquake survivor who was rescued after being trapped for 196 hours in a coal mine, is now out of danger, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Thursday.

Lai Yuanping, a miner rescued after being trapped for 196 hours, receives medical treatment in a field hospital in Mianzhu, Sichuan Province, on May 21, 2008. [Photo: Xinhua]

Lai and three other miners, Xiao Yongjun, Huang Boming and Chen Yunxin, were pulled to safety by military rescuers at around six o'clock on Tuesday afternoon from the coal mine in Jinhua Town of Mianzhu City, southwest China's Sichuan Province.

Lai, in his forties, had lapsed into a coma from serious dehydration and kidney failure. After emergency treatment in a nearby field hospital, he was airlifted Wednesday night to the military hospital in the capital city of Chengdu, where he underwent surgery for a large brain hematoma.

The other three miners suffered from non life-threatening bruises and fractures.

The quake death toll has risen to 55,239 in Sichuan alone as of 7:00 p.m., Thursday. About 83,988 people were rescued. The quake also injured 281,066, while 24,949 are still missing.