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Miners trapped for 18 days underground all alive and well
Miners trapped in a gold and copper mine in Chile for 18 days were given hydration gel and provisions through a narrow drill hole.
The miners tied a note to perforation drill on Sunday, through a shaft the size of a grapefruit, saying they are doing well and are waiting to be rescued.
The miners, trapped after a cave-in around 2,300 feet underground, could be there for months, according to officials, as a new shaft needs to be dug out to extract them.
Chile, which is the world’s primary copper producer, will consider the accident a wake-up call for mine safety. Though still trapped underground, relatives consider the accident to be a miracle as nobody is injured.
Chile’s mining minister Laurence Golborne said the rescue workers were receiving plastic tubes called “doves” with glucose solutions, hydration gels and medicine to keep them alive while the shaft is dug out.
The trapped miners have not been told how long it will take for them to get out, which could be around Christmas time.
Luis Urzua, shift leader at the mine, said "We are well. We're waiting to be rescued," as they applauded, cheered and sang Chile's national anthem.
Golborne said the miners were in remarkably good condition and in good spirits despite their ordeal. It is one of the longest periods that trapped miners have survived underground.
Relatives have been writing letters to send down the shaft to the miners to help boost their morale.
Leader of the drilling effort, Andre Sougarret, said engineers would drill two other shafts. One would be to ensure ventilation and communication in the coming months and another, wider one to bring the miners to surface using a pulley. He said it will take around three to four months to drill the hole.
Health officials said the workers must have lost around eight kilograms each, and have been surviving on two mouthfuls of tuna and half a glass of milk every 48 hours.
Chile President Sebastian Pinera said "The miners are alive, but the job is not done yet.” He has reportedly fired officials of Chile's mining regulator and vowed a major overhaul of the agency in light of the accident.
