Chile begins drilling mine rescue shaft
Engineers have begun drilling the rescue shaft through which they hope to eventually free the 33 men trapped for the past three weeks 700m underground in a collapsed gold mine about 800km north of the capital, Santiago. A huge Australian-made "Strata 950" excavator began work late on Monday.
The machine dug a narrow test hole, which will gradually be deepened and expanded to a width of about 60cm. The miners will have to clear thousands of tonnes of falling debris in round-the-clock shifts, although officials say the men are in no danger of being hit. The rescue shaft is likely to take 90 to 120 days to complete. Then a capsule can be lowered down to retrieve the miners one by one.
Mining minister Laurence Golborne had said up to 10 options were being considered in the efforts to rescue the men, but he dismissed suggestions they could be out within a month.
At present, rescue workers are using three narrow shafts to send essential supplies to the trapped men, and ensure they have adequate ventilation. One of the men has some medical training and has been able to give his colleagues vaccinations against tetanus. They will be sent flu vaccinations later this week.
Quick-dry clothing has also been sent down, after some of the miners said they were suffering from skin conditions in the hot, wet conditions. Others have been sent mats to sleep on to protect them from the damp ground. They have also been sent mp3 players to listen to music and a small screen, so they can watch football matches. On Sunday, the miners were each able to speak to family members for one minute by telephone.
Four experts from Nasa are due to arrive at the mine this week at the request of the Chilean authorities, to advise the miners and rescuers on how to cope with their situation.
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