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Pictures appearing to show a miner underground have
emerged
It
will take at least four months to rescue 33 miners trapped underground
in Chile, the head of the rescue operation has said.
Rescuers made contact with the miners by lowering a probe
into the mine, 17 days after the men became trapped.The miners, stuck in a mine shaft shelter some 700m (2,300ft) down, sent up a note saying they were all fine.
Rescuers are now preparing to drill a wider hole through which they can bring the miners to the surface.
The chief engineer in charge of the
rescue operation, Andres Sougarret, said a larger and more powerful
drill would be needed to dig the hole at the San Jose gold and copper
mine near the city of Copiapo.
"A shaft 66cm (26 inches) in diameter will take at least 120
days," he said.Rescuers plan to send narrow plastic tubes down the narrow borehole already drilled with food, hydration gels and equipment that will allow them to communicate with relatives - including cameras and microphones.
'Hope in their eyes' The men have been trapped since 5 August when the main access tunnel collapsed. They are said to be trapped 4.5 miles (7 km) inside the mine, in a space the size of a small flat.
Until Sunday, there had been no word from the miners and hopes for their survival were fading.
The announcement that the miners were still alive was made on Sunday by Chilean President Sebastian Pinera.
Surrounded by relatives of the miners who have gathered outside the mine, he held up a note from the miners saying: "All 33 of us are fine in the shelter."
"It will take months to get them out," Mr Pinera said.
"They'll come out thin and dirty, but whole and strong," he said.
Mr Pinera also saw images of the miners taken by a camera that was lowered down the borehole.
The men were bare-chested, apparently due to the heat, but officials said they were in better condition than expected.
"Many of them approached the camera and put their faces right up against it, like children, and we could see happiness and hope in their eyes," Mr Pinera said.
Celebrations in Santiago
The eldest of the miners, 63-year-old Mario Gomez, sent up a
letter to his wife in which he said he was sure the miners would
survive.
An emotional President Pinera announced
that the miners were still alive on Sunday
"Dear Liliana, I'm well, thank God. I hope to get out soon.
Have patience and faith. "I haven't stopped thinking about all of you for a single moment."
His note said that miners had been able to hear drilling above them as rescuers made several failed attempts to locate them.
The accident has raised concerns about mining safety in Chile, and the company that owns the mine and the national mining service have both been criticised for failing to comply with regulations.
"This company has got to modernise," Mr Gomez said.
News that the miners were still alive was met with relief across Chile, and people gathered at the main square in the capital, Santiago, to celebrate.
Outside the mine, Mario Gomez's daughter said she could not wait to talk to him.
"No-one will be able to take this happiness away from me," she said.
"I've never felt anything like this in my life. It's like being born again."