The 33 miners were found together, rescue workers
said after the workers passed a note reading, “Here are 33 people. We
are all alive,” through a small hole drilled by rescuers.
Pinera expressed his joy at the news. “It came out
of the depths of the mine. It said that we are alive, we are together
and we hope that we will again see the sunlight and be able to hug our
families,” he said.
As the news of the miners’ survival reached the
surface, family members applauded, cried and fell into each others’
arms with joy. Many dubbed the news a miracle.
“Today all of
The workers have been trapped 700 meters (2,296.5 feet) underground since
Several further collapses frustrated rescue efforts,
and authorities had last week unofficially expressed their fear that
the miners may have died.
The note, written in red ink, was the first sign of
life and unleashed immediate joy among the family members, friends and
neighbors gathered outside the mine. Hundreds broke into spontaneous
singing of the Chilean national anthem and waved flags.
“I have never been so proud to be a Chilean as I am today,” Pinera said.
A video camera was later lowered into the mine and Pinera was able to see the miners.
“I saw them five minutes ago with my own eyes on the
video camera,” he said. He described seeing eight or nine miners, some
of whom waved and appeared to be in good health.
All previous efforts to reach the miners, even
through holes just a few centimeters (no more than an inch) in diameter
to provide them with food and water, had failed.
But it could still be weeks, or even months, before
the miners can be safely brought to the surface because a giant boulder
is blocking access to the trapped men.
However, now that their exact location is known,
rescuers can begin to widen the hole into the chamber in order to
provide them with food and water.
The miners were also able to send up other messages after contact was established. Miner
Patience and belief. God is good and with his help we will be able to
come out of this mine alive, even if we must wait months.”
The accident, the worst of its kind in a decade in
has prompted debate about working conditions for miners in small and
medium-sized mining fields, which sometimes lack the necessary safety
mechanisms.
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(c) 2010, Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH (Hamburg, Germany).
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Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
