Asia-Pacific

Rescue drill reaches trapped Chilean miners amid celebrations

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-09-19 08:53

SANTIAGO - Chile had more to celebrate this weekend than just the bicentennial of its independence from Spain.

A man dressed as a clown walks past a honor guard during a ceremony for the 33 miners trapped underground inside a copper and gold mine at the camp where relatives of the miners are staying near Copiapo September 18, 2010. [Photo/Agencies]

That came with reports Friday that the first of three rescue drills reached 33 miners trapped 700 meters underground since August 5 when 700,000 tons of rock collapsed in the central section of the San Jose gold and copper mine.

President Sebastian Pinera applauded the courage of the trapped miners, saying he would visit the mine with Mining Minister Laurence Golborne on Saturday to celebrate the national holiday with the miners and their families.

The 30-centimeter-wide drill T-130 of rescue "Plan B" finally broke through to 630 meters underground, puncturing the top of a passage near the chamber in the mine where the miners took refuge.

Related readings:  Newborn "Hope" brings joy to trapped Chilean miner  Trapped Chilean miners rally around leaders to survive ordeal  33 trapped Chilean miners found alive after 17 days  Chile's trapped miners have a thousand job offers

The drill needs to go an additional 30 meters before it can be lifted up. Rescuers then will use a wider drill to drill a hole 71 centimeters across, wide enough to pull the miners to the surface.

"We have reached 630 meters, and completed the first stage. We are able to start the final phase of widening to 28 inches (71 centimeters)," said Andre Sougarret, the engineer in charge of the rescue effort.

The widening phase of the spare-no-expense rescue would take "a month (to) a month and a half" to complete, Sougarret said. "From now on we will start drilling in that. We will need to remove material at the bottom of the well, and we are seeing how they are going to help."

The 32 Chileans and a Bolivian were found alive after 17 days of isolation in the mine near Copiapo, about 800 km north of Santiago, when rescuers reached them through 10 centimeter-diameter ducts drilled after the collapse.

The miners kept their wits during the ordeal, washing tiny bits of canned tuna and peaches down with sips of milk every other day to stretch a 48-hour emergency food supply.

The workers have since been receiving water, food, oxygen and messages through the ducts.

Golborne confirmed the breakthrough, saying in Santiago that the latest developments put government efforts ahead of the timeline for an early November rescue.

The minister, however, cautioned that the drilling was being carefully carried out to avoid a cave-in.

Golborne told Xinhua on Thursday that Plan C, which involved an oil drilling rig-421, had completed the installation of its tower and could begin operations Saturday.

"We will begin this week with two drilling machines in the final diameter that allows us to look quite optimistic that we can reach them in a reasonable time. The date remains early November," he said.

Plan A, a slower Strata 950 hydraulic bore, has so far descended only 320 meters through the ground.

Once the hole gets to be 71 centimeters in diameter, the miners will be hoisted up one by one in a steel escape capsule that is still being designed and will be equipped with oxygen tanks and a communications system.