www.chinaview.cn 2009-05-20 11:41:50

KUNMING , May 20 (Xinhua) -- Two Chinese explorers re-established contact with home Wednesday after reportedly disappearing in the Sahara Desert for three days.

Jin Feibao, one of the expedition pair, called his wife early Wednesday, saying he and his partner were crossing a mountain in the southern Sahara, said Xu Hongyan, head of their communications in an office in Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province, southwest China.

Their satellite telephone had failed in the extreme heat and time differences caused difficulties in calling China, Jin told his wife by phone.

Jin, an Olympic torch bearer and an experienced explorer, and geologist Fei Xuan started their scientific research expedition in Africa last month, to research desertification control measures for China's environment protection campaign.

They planned to cover 7,500 kilometers throughout Ghana, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Algeria, Libya and Egypt in 80 days. They planned to travel by camel and maintain contact with satellite communication equipment.

The government of Zhaotong City, in Yunnan Province, and the Hongta Group tobacco company are sponsoring the expedition, which is expected to cost more than 1 million yuan (146,000 U.S. dollars).

However, they were out of contact from May 16 after they entered Algeria, leaving colleagues and family to worry about their safety.

Jin said the desert tour exhausted them, but they were trying to adapt to the harsh climate.

Jin said they would try all out to complete the expedition, but warned they could lose communications again.

The political situation in the region was relatively stable and kidnapping, one of the suspected reasons for their disappearance, was unlikely, said Jin.