Evacuation of Chile miners 'likely to start Wednesday'

[cal04]

Source: BBC News

The evacuation of 33 miners trapped in a Chilean mine is likely to start on Wednesday, the country's mining minister has said.

Laurence Golborne was speaking after engineers had drilled through to the underground chamber where the miners are sheltering.

He said the completed shaft needed a length of steel casing that would take about one-and-a-half days to assemble.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11509039

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Official says Wednesday rescue likely in Chile
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i075ahoJZZkuwcSyRJcUkUDZKuFQD9IOFQG80?docId=D9IOFQG80

[Rhiannon12866]

1. Terrific news! K&R!

:woohoo:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. Good news!

[stubtoe]

3. Yay!

:bounce:

[Bobbieo]

4. Finally - some good news!!!!

[cal04]

5. Trapped Chile miners stay healthy on NASA diet

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N09273956.htm

Chile has relied on cutting-edge biotechnology and a NASA diet to care for 33 miners trapped half a mile underground, and they are in surprisingly good health days ahead of their planned rescue, the goverment said on Saturday.

Chile's top health official said the trapped men are in surprisingly good health days ahead of an expected rescue.

"They look really good. You have to recognize that anxiety is rising, but we're really happy to see them in such good health," said Health Minister Jaime Manalich.

(snip)
Once they reach the surface, the miners will receive critical care ahead of an emotional reunion with their families before they are flown in Air Force helicopters to a hospital in nearby Copiapo.

[applegrove]

6. Apparently it will be a dangerous process to remove the minors by capsule. They may need oxygen on

the ride up.

[veganlush]

7. wait, one of the rescuers is busy Wednesday,

..he has a softball game, Thursday would be better...

[SlipperySlope]

8. Nice to get some good news

Nice to hear some good news.
Nice to not have to think about politics.
Just glad they will be going home to their families.

[cal04]

9. Chile rescuers reinforce shaft for miners' escape

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N09274692.htm

Chilean rescuers on Sunday reinforced an escape shaft to hoist 33 miners to freedom, bringing their stunning survival story close to its climax two months after they were trapped deep underground.

Engineers have drilled a narrow, nearly 2,050 foot-long (625-metre) shaft to evacuate the men, who have been using explosives to make room for a special capsule dubbed "Phoenix" that will lift them one-by-one to the surface.

The rescuers were inserting metal tubes to line the first 330 feet (100 metres) of the duct to strengthen it, and the government expects to start the evacuation on Wednesday in one of the most complex rescue attempts in mining history.

"At the moment, we're starting to send down the first tubes," said Andre Sougarret, who is leading the rescue operations.

[lunatica]

10. This has become a nail biter!

I thought the miners would die down there with no one able to reach them. They're more than 2,000 feet down.

[Judi Lynn]

11. In Chile mine, a display of altruism

In Chile mine, a display of altruism
Associated Press / October 11, 2010

SAN JOSE MINE, Chile — After more than two months trapped deep in a Chilean mine, 33 miners were so giddy with confidence, officials said yesterday, that they were arguing over who would be the last to take a twisting 20-minute ride to daylight and the embrace of those they love.

Officials have drawn up a tentative list of the order in which the 33 miners should be rescued, and Health Minister Jaime Manalich said the otherwise cooperative miners were squabbling about it — so sure of the exit plan that they are asking to let their comrades be first to reach the surface, probably on Wednesday.

“They were fighting with us yesterday because everyone wanted to be at the end of the line, not the beginning,’’ he said.

The final order will probably be determined by two paramedics who will be lowered into the mine to prepare the men for their journey in one of the three rescue capsules built by Chilean naval engineers.

More:
http://www.boston.com/news/world/latinamerica/articles/2010/10/11/in_chile_mine_a_display_of_altruism/

[Judi Lynn]

12. Test of rescue capsule goes smoothly in Chile mine rescue shaft

Test of rescue capsule goes smoothly in Chile mine rescue shaft
By EVA VERGARA and MICHAEL WARREN , Associated Press
Last update: October 11, 2010 - 10:35 AM

SAN JOSE MINE, Chile - The engineer leading Chilean rescue efforts says his team has successfully tested a rescue capsule nearly all the way down to where the miners are trapped.

Andres Sougarett says the empty capsule descended 2,000 feet (610 meters), just 46 feet (14 meters) short of the chamber where 33 miners have been trapped since an Aug. 5 collapse.

He said all would be in place at midnight Tuesday to begin the rescue.

Mining Minister Laurence Golborne told reporters Monday that the capsule performed very well in the hole — that it didn't even loosen any dust. He did not say why the capsule did not go to the bottom.

More:
http://www.startribune.com/business/104695119.html

[Judi Lynn]

13. Chile miners look forward to seafood stew, spaghetti and football

Chile miners look forward to seafood stew, spaghetti and football
The miners have been telling relatives what preparations to make for their arrival on the surface. Most requests involve instructions to prepare the favourite foods they have been denied during their ordeal below ground.

By Fiona Govan at the San Jose mine
Published: 9:30PM BST 11 Oct 2010

The brother of Victor Zamora, 33, said he had been told to have the house well-stocked ahead of his arrival. “He has warned me that when he comes out he's going to eat everything we put in front of him,” said Alejandro Contreras Bugueno. “He said he is most looking forward to cocimiento – a traditional stew - and mariscal (raw seafood marinated in lemon juice).”

Pablo Rojas Villacorta, 45, has also requested his favourite dish. “He wants spaghetti with sauce, but they way my mother makes it,” reports his wife Ximena Contreas. “It's his favourite and he thinks she is a better cook than me.”

Ariel Ticona, 27, has told his brother Christian to arrange a “fish fry up” with his friends from the social club where he plays football.

Dario Segovia, 48, wants “baked cojinova, (local white fish) stuffed with bacon, cheese, tomato and onion. His wife is going to prepare it,” said his brother Alberto Segovia.

More:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/chile/8057415/Chile-miners-look-forward-to-seafood-stew-spaghetti-and-football.html

[Tx4obama]

14. CNN headline: Chile miners' rescue could start within about 24 hours

Midnight in Chile
11 pm ET Tuesday
10 pm CT Tuesday

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/10/11/chile.trapped.miners/index.html?hpt=T1

[Judi Lynn]

15. Photo of the rescue capsule, from BBC News:

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk.nyud.net:8090/media/images/49464000/jpg/_49464278_010398644-2.jpg

Each miner will be lifted from the chamber individually, making the 15-minute journey to the surface in a rescue capsule similar to this one.
More photos:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11520819

12 October 2010 Last updated at 00:22 ET
Chile awaits start of mine rescue

Video...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11518015

[redwitch]

16. I cannot imagine their anxiety.

They have been trapped for so very long! That capsule ride is a hell of a thing. If they all don't have severe claustrophobia after their experience it will be a miracle. I pray for their safe return to the surface.

[KDLarsen]

17. 'Chile awaits start of mine rescue'

Chile has brought forward the attempt to begin bringing 33 trapped miners to the surface.

Officials say the operation will now begin at 2000 local time (2300 GMT Tuesday), four hours earlier than previously announced.

A test of the steel rescue capsule was earlier carried out successfully, descending almost the whole way down a 622m (2,040ft) shaft, engineers said.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11518015

[Judi Lynn]

18. Chile to start evacuating miners Tuesday afternoon

Chile to start evacuating miners Tuesday afternoon
COPIAPO, Chile | Tue Oct 12, 2010 11:18am EDT

Oct 12 (Reuters) - Rescue workers aim to start evacuating Chile's trapped 33 miners from 6 p.m. (2100 GMT) on Tuesday, Mining Minister Laurence Golborne said on Tuesday.

EOM

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1217770320101012?rpc=401&feedType=RSS&feedName=hotStocksNews&rpc=401

[Judi Lynn]

19. Chilean miners: Foreman says unity of men is humbling (also watch rescue online at Guardian website)

Chilean miners: Foreman says unity of men is humbling
Exclusive: Guardian speaks to leader of trapped miners via videophone and hears men are pulling together for rescue

The miners' rescue is expected to start later tonight. We'll be covering events live on this page as soon as it begins

Jonathan Franklin in Camp Hope guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 12 October 2010 17.13 BST

Luis Urzua, the shift foreman trapped underground with 32 other Chilean miners, who has taken much of the praise for the wellbeing of the team under his command, has told the Guardian he was humbled by the men's ability to stay united.

Urzua, who has become a national hero in Chile and is expected to be the last to leave the mine after some 10 weeks underground, said in an exclusive interview: "This was a group with different personalities and manners of being. They're different characters."

"We have had a stage here in our lives that we never planned for and I hope to never live again like this, but that's the life of a miner."

Urzua has been widely credited with keeping the men alive during the first 17 days, when he rationed food, giving one spoonful of tuna to each of the miners every 48 hours.

More:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/oct/12/chilean-miners-foreman-unity-humbling

[Vehl]

20. Good news!

These guys have been down there for way too long.
It's good to know that they are about to be rescued soon.