Yesterday, Sunday 22 of August, one of about 10 geologycal exploratory probes reached a depth of about 700 mts within the rock where was the Copper Mine of San josé, near Copiapó, Chile.
This probe together with the other ones were deployd in order to reach a safety chamber deep within the mine where 18 days ago an accident occured which had all its tunnel collapse with rock material. Inside the mine, 33 miners (32 Chilean and 1 Bolivian), got trapped inside of it. Despite the sad news and against all the odds (most people, me included, thought they were squashed by the stones
), chilean mining companies together with people of the government of Chile, started drilling the hard material with the hope to see if the miners were able to reach the safety chamber, located deep within the mine at the end of about 2 miles long tunnel at over 700 meters of depth.
One week after the accident, the most advanced probe, due to the hard material got deviated from its original projected path, which had to stop drilling at about 600 meters from the safety chamber, cause if it would have continued it would have past at about 30 meters from the chamber, which brought together with this outcome very sad news to all of those who were awaiting to have good news
. Despite this fact they started drilling a new probe, with the hope to reach the trapped miners, which proved everybody that their stubborn attitude can have a joyful outcome, which yesterday reached the chamber, where the miners through the small hole the probe did, managed to tie some letters in a bag and tied with pieces of rubber to the end of the drilling probe, when it was taken out. Afterwards a long cable camera which was sent trhough the tiny hole, reached a few meters from the chamber, pointing at the inside hole of it, where the miners clicked on their helmet lights in order to show that they were there and hopeful of being evaquated. One of the miners, looked through the hole and part of his face was seen. In the letters they managed to tie to the prove, they said that they were all alive, the 33 of them. The whole country of Chile is happy and proud of the effort of all the people who have not stop working since the first day of this dysaster.
Now comes the hard part, the most optimist calculations, consider that it will take up to 3 or 4 months, to make another duct with the enough wideness to allow to pass the men through it, in order to evaquate them. After surviving more than 17 days, without any hope of survival, I`m certain that this story will end up joyful, for the whole nation who awaits their rescue.
¡¡¡¡ VIVA CHILE !!!!