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Chile secures lifeline to trapped miners still alive
The accident in the small gold and copper mine has shone a spotlight on mine safety in Chile, the world’s No.1 copper producer, though accidents are rare at major mines and the incident is not seen having a significant impact on the country’s output.
Rescue workers now plan to use the tiny bore hole to send plastic tubes containing glucose, hydration gels and food down to the miners to keep them alive while they dig a new shaft to extract them -- which could take up to four months.stay connected with the miners, to keep them alive,” said Andre Sougarret, manager of state copper giant Codelco’s El Teniente mine, who is heading up the drilling effort.
He said engineers would coat the sides of the bore-hole and hoped to be able to start sending food and supplies down it on Monday morning. He said the next stage was to choose where to drill a larger hole to extract the miners without risking further cave-ins at the unstable mine.
“Our initial estimate is that it will take 3-4 months (to drill),” Sougarret said.
The miners are 4.5 miles (7 kilometers) inside the winding mine. They are sheltered in a refuge the size of a small apartment.
Tanks of water and ventilation shafts helped the miners to survive, but they had very limited food supplies, and health officials estimate they may have lost about 17.5 to 20 pounds (8 to 9 kilograms) each.
Rescuers lowered a television camera down the bore-hole on Sunday, and some of the miners looked into the lens. Some had removed their shirts because of the heat in the mine, and officials said they looked in better-than-expected condition.
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