Chile miners' rescue 'will take months'
Updated on 23 August 2010
Rescuers have made contact with 33 men trapped after a mining accident in Chile 17 days ago, but engineers warn it could take until Christmas to get them out. Mine rescue expert Dr Barrie Jones tells Channel 4 News the most important thing is hope.
There were scenes of jubilation at the San Jose mine in northern Chile on Sunday evening as the families of miners trapped underground for 17 days finally received word that their loved ones were alive and well.
Chile's President Sebastian Pinera held up a note that the miners had sent up tied to a drill, written in red paint it said simply: "The 33 of us in the shelter are well."
Dramatic images of the miners were relayed via video camera sent down a probe – some of the men can be seen looking into the lens.
As celebrations got underway at the mine, the President said he had seen eight or nine of the men with their lamps lit, bare-chested, waving their arms and 'apparently in good shape'.
He declared: "Lots of them put their faces up close to the camera like children do with a video camera, and we could see their eyes, their happiness, and their hope."
But despite the joy of finding the miners alive, officials warn it could take months to bring them to safety.
Tunnel collapse
The accident happened when an access
tunnel collapsed at the small gold and copper mine near Copiapo on 5 August.
Hope of finding the men alive had been fading.
They were trapped 700 metres vertically below ground but have managed to make their way to a mine shaft shelter said to be the size of a small apartment. It is equipped with tanks of water and the men have been using the batteries from a truck to charge the lights on their helmets.
Efforts to reach the 32 Chileans and one Bolivian have been hampered by collapses in the highly unstable mine which meant rescue workers had to abandon plans to dig past the main cave-in and down a ventilation shaft.
Andre Sourgarret, in charge of the drilling operations, said engineers were now evaluating how to proceed. It is believed the plan is to dig a new shaft, but experts predict it could take up to 120 days to dig a new tunnel.
Sourgarret told the media: "We have some different options corresponding to machinery which is used in the oil industry, which have bigger diameters and speeds, but they have some risks and we have to evaluate them."
'More guarantees'
Serious mining accidents are rare in
Chile but the government says the San Jose mine, which is owned by a local
private company Compania Minera San Esteban Primera has suffered a series of
mishaps, with 16 miners killed over recent years.
On 6 August San Estiaban executive Pedro Simonevic said the mine collapse "couldn't have been foreseen."
Since the accident President Pinera has fired top officials in the country's mining regulator and vowed a major overhaul of the agency.
In a televised address on Monday he stated : "We are going to accelerate legislation that was under review to completely revise all regulations to ensure mining activity provides more guarantees, tranquillity and security to workers."
The
Rescue
700 metres is a long way down and I doubt a rescue from that
depth has ever been done before.
The first priority for rescuers will be to
keep the men alive. They will need to ensure there is plenty of oxygen down
there - they have already survived 17 days which is really good so they
definitely have a strong chance. Other than the air supply there are no
other major health risks.
When the teams are sure there is enough
fresh air they will need to provide food, water and warmth. I expect they
will then try and get a power cable down to the men. They will be passing items
down the bore hole so what they can get to the miners will depend on the
diameter of the hole. It will probably be 8 - 10 inches wide but it is
surprising what you can get down there.
The engineers have done really
well to find the men trapped underground. It is a big area and a long way
down. They are using similar technology to that used by BP in the Gulf
Spill; there is a great deal of accuracy involved, it is a really skilled
art.
Rescuers will either have to drill a bore hole big enough to
get the men out, try and dig down to them or try and clear the area that caved
in. There is always a risk that they will destabilise the rock but in copper and
gold mines it tends to be ignatius or volcanic rock - something from the granite
family- so its usually pretty stable.
Many mines now have these 'safe
refuges ', which are often larger spaces stocked with some supplies of food
and water in case of emergencies like this. It is meant as a life support system
and usually calculated to last between 48- 72 hours so the men underground have
done really well.
The rescue teams will be mindful not to do anything to
jeopardise the communications links with the men. There should be
psychologists on hand to talk to them and they may start to let them talk to
their families. If the men are experienced miners they will have an idea of how
long it might take to get them out.
The most important thing is hope. As
long as they have hope they should be ok; they have a lot to live
for.
Dr Barrie Jones is the Chief Operating Officer with the UK Mines Rescue
Service
Survival underground
The miners have limited amounts of
food and doctors have advised sending down glucose enriched mineral water and
medicines as well as other supplies. Health officials estimate the men have each
lost up to 17.5-20 pounds (8-9 kgs).
Rescue workers have begun to send down so-called 'doves', – plastic tubes with food, hydration gels and medicine, as well as oxygen, communications equipment and lighting.
Keeping positive
News of the men's survival was being
hailed as a miracle in Chile. Despite being told of their continued entrapment,
relatives celebrated their being found with a barbeque and traditional
music and dance.
"This was a 17-day nightmare," said 42-year-old miner Sandro Rojas, whose brother, two cousins and nephew are among those trapped. "When I see my brother, I'm going to tell him I love him and smother him with kisses. To be honest, I don't know if I'll be able to speak I'm so excited."
63 year old miner Mario Gomez wrote a note to his wife saying: "Patience and faith, God is great. This company has got to modernise but I want to tell everyone I'm ok and am sure we will survive."
Gomez's daughter said the news felt like a dream: "When he comes out I’m going to give him a million kisses. No-one will be able to take this happiness away from me. I've never felt anything like this in my life. It's like being born again. I can't wait to talk to him."
President Pinera matched their mood by declaring: "It will take time but it doesn't matter how long it takes to have a happy ending."
