国内英语新闻:Rescue continues for worker trapped under sea for nearly 18 hours

HANGZHOU, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Rescue efforts are continuing to save a worker trapped 18 meters under sea surface for almost 18 hours in Jiaxing Harbor, east China's Zhejiang Province, local authorities said.

The worker, 43, surnamed Fan from central China's Hubei Province, was stuck at the bottom of a steel shielding canister in which he was working at 9 a.m. Thursday. The shielding canister deformed under sudden increase of hydraulic pressure from flood tide, according to local media report.

The shielding canister, a part of an offshore platform, is one meter in diameter. Fan was working at the bottom of the canister that joins a cement column when the incident happened.

Rescue staff said, "We are making slow progress because of complex geological conditions. The deformed section, about two to four meters under the sea surface, has been squeezed to only 3cm wide at the narrowest part."

Thankfully, the shielding canister has not fractured, though seriously deformed.

Rescue workers have decided to cut the cement column off the seabed to lift the shielding canister.

Rescue efforts started at 10 a.m. Thursday. Food, including ham sausages and drinking water were supplied to the worker, through a flexible pipe. Fan asked for some cigarettes.

Fan's family members have arrived at the site, praying for him at the bank.