South Africa’s Mines Rescue team has offered its services to the government of Chile to help free 33 mine workers who have already been trapped in the San Jose gold and copper mine in Copiapo for over two weeks following a rock fall.
A shaft with a diameter of 15cm was drilled on Sunday to near where the group of miners are trapped at a depth of 688 metres, under thick layers of rock. Another shaft was drilled through to them on Monday.
It could, however, take another four months to dig a proper tunnel to the miners through which they can be brought to safety.
Christo de Klerk, managing director of Mines Rescue, said on Tuesday they’re still waiting to hear from the Chilean government.
Offered help
“We have offered our help, but we’ll only be able to help once a proper, reinforced shaft of at least 635mm in diameter has been drilled to where the miners are,” said De Klerk.
According to him, Mines Rescue has an emergency winch which can lower a capsule to a depth of 1 300m to bring the trapped miners to the surface.
While workers were busy drilling a third shaft to the miners on Tuesday, emergency workers lowered capsules with rehydration tablets, tubes of glucose and oxygen.
Laurence Golborne, Chile’s minister of mining, said the first shaft that was drilled will be used to lower supplies to the miners, while the second shaft will be used for communication and the third for ventilation.
The miners told on Monday – by means of a communication system in the second shaft – how they had survived thus far on two spoonfuls of tuna, a biscuit and a sip of milk every 48 hours.
Four months underground
Meanwhile doctors and psychologists are considering how to keep the trapped men calm and psychologically strong during the expected four months that they will be trapped underground.
According to officials, they are planning to keep the trapped miners “informed and busy” during the long wait.
Small microphones have already been lowered to the mine workers so they can speak to their families. An enormous drill with diamond-reinforced drill bits, which can drill a shaft with a diameter of 660mm at 20m per day, is currently en route to the mine from central Chile. It will take three days to set up.
[Story by Fanie Van Rooyen, Beeld]