Grave robbers rescued then arrested in China

Police in northwest China's Shaanxi province have rescued two grave robbers, trapped in a burial chamber for 25 hours and then detained them.

Five suspected grave robbers were excavating a tomb dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907) in Fuping county when two of them became stuck in a chamber 20 meters underground.

Police received reports on Saturday and came to the site to find the two trapped men had spent more than 24 hours in the chamber with the fear of a cave in and lack of oxygen.

Sun Weidong, the officer in charge of the rescue, said three rescuers with oxygen masks spent more than an hour locating the two men who had been calling for help and waving flashlights. Rescuers pulled them out of the chamber through a crack on top of the cave, said the police officer.

All five suspects were detained and further investigation into the case is underway.

Fuping County is known to have a cluster of emperors' mausoleums and subordinate tombs from the Tang Dynasty. The five suspects excavated a subordinate tomb, according to archaeologists.