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Chile's trapped miners could be stuck until Christmas - South America - Chile

Chile's trapped miners could be stuck until Christmas

Thirty-three miners trapped underground in Chile for the past 17 days are alive, but rescue workers may not be able to reach them before Christmas, officials said.

Telegraph | Published: 08/24/2010 08:45

Sebastian Pinera, the Chilean president, stunned the country on Sunday, when he announced that a written note sent through a bore hole proved that all the 33 miners were alive.

"All 33 of us are well inside the shelter," said the note, written in bold red capital letters.

Rescuers discovered the trapped men when they heard hammering noises.

The men were working at the San Jose gold and copper mine near the city of Copiapo, 500 miles north of Santiago, at a depth of around 2,300 ft when the rock above them collapsed on Aug 5.

But amid the joy of the news of their survival, Andres Sougarret, the engineer in charge of the mission, said it could take months to free the men from their underground prison.

It would take "at least 120 days" to carve a second shaft that was wide enough for the miners to be pulled up one-by-one.

A camera lowered down the bore hole on Sunday showed the miners sweaty and shirtless in the hot (32-36 degrees Celsius, 90-97 Fahrenheit) shelter, but in apparently good condition and high spirits.

Source

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