BEIJING -- China's National Health Commission (NHC) on Tuesday sent an expert team to Qixia under Yantai City in East China's Shandong province to guide and assist in medical aid for trapped workers after a gold mine blast.

The team consists of five medical experts from leading hospitals in Beijing, covering the fields of intensive care medicine, nutrition, neurosurgery, occupational disease and poisoning treatment, as well as psychological intervention, the commission said.

The NHC has sent two medical experts from Shandong to Qixia to guide in the preparation of emergency medical aid.

The blast took place on Jan 10, and 22 workers are trapped underground. The rescuers have had phone conversations with some of the trapped workers and delivered supplies and medicine to them.