Reported in the Mirror.

A buddhist builder buried alive for two hours survived by meditating on conserving his breath.

Wang Jianxin, 52, should have died within five minutes of being entombed 6ft underground.

But by slowing his breathing he eked out an air pocket in front of his face until rescuers dug him out.

Wang said: "I knew the air wouldn't last, so I made myself relax and concentrated on my breathing by meditation.
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"It was very still and quiet down there. I was surprised at how easy it was to focus my mind and achieve inner calm, even though I believed I was facing death.

"Later, it became very hot and suffocating. I thought I might not make it back to the surface. Then I heard the sounds of voices and digging, and suddenly I could see again. It was the longest two hours of my life."

A doctor at the scene in Ningbo, eastern China, said: "It's a miracle."

Wang was digging a 15ft ditch at a building site when a wall of earth collapsed, burying him alive.

He said: "I had my back to the wall. I didn't know it was falling until it was on top of me."

Workmates and 11 firefighters dug Wang out. One said: "As we went deeper, we used our hands to dig as we feared our shovels might injure him. Then we had to hold the soil back with fencing."