Three zinc miners who were trapped by smoke after a rig fire broke out 800 feet underground at the Young Mine in New Market, Tenn., on Wednesday were rescued the same day.

The Associated Press reported via USA Today that the miners were trapped for about three hours before they were rescued.

They were taken to a nearby hospital for a precautionary evaluation, Amy Louviere, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration told The AP.

Reports are the miners were among 54 others who were in the mine at the time of the incident. The others escaped although two of them were taken to a local hospital and treated for smoke inhalation. The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency told the media that the fire started around 1:10 p.m. EST.

The Young Mine is owned by Nyrstar, a Switzerland-based operator. The company has six other zinc mines in Tennessee, The AP reported.

Renata Roberts, a spokeswoman for Nyrstar, told the media that the three rescued miners were in fine spirits.

We are working with mine safety officials and others to make sure it's safe to resume operations, Roberts said. We are undertaking a full investigation.

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