Chilean Miners’ Ordeal To End Soon
By Swatilekha Paul, Gaea News NetworkMonday, October 11, 2010
SAN JOSE MINE, CHILE (GaeaTimes.com)- Rescue crews who have been working relentlessly to bring to safety the 33 Chilean miners who have been trapped in an underground mine for the past two months, received a major breakthrough over the weekend. The drilling of the escape shaft which would be used to rescue the miners was finally complete on Saturday and the evacuation process to bring the miners to surface is likely to commence from Wednesday, rescue officials have revealed.
According to the rescue officials, the tunnel that has been drilled in the San Jose gold and copper mine would now be used to pull out the trapped miners one by one with the help of a specially designed rescue capsule. Following the breakthrough on Saturday, mining minister Laurence Golborne said that although until now the rescue procedure has managed to proceed smoothly, the final stages of the operation are very crucial which involves taking all the necessary precautions to ensure that the operation is able to reach its conclusion without any hurdles. The trapped Chilean miners were waiting anxiously when the drilling of the escape shaft was going on and once the tunnel reached the exact location where they have taken shelter, the miners sent a message that no one had been injured in the operation.
The Chilean miners have been stuck in the copper and gold mine since August 5, which in itself is a record as they have managed to survive longer than anyone trapped in similar circumstances. Meanwhile, the evacuation process that would begin from Wednesday is expected to last for at least two days.
