Chile miners may be freed by mid-October

Rescuers digging to free the thirty-three miners trapped underground in a Chile mine for almost two months said one of their drills has cut through 50 metres of rock in 24 hours, meaning if they keep up the pace, the men may be out by mid-October.

30 September 2010, 12:00am

1 min read

The rescuers however have warned that they could run into problems, and the government still says it could take until early November to get them out.

Andrew Sougarret, the head of the rescue operation, said "This headway is some of the best we have had and it is due to the better continuity we have had with this drill."

"We have reached 300m, which is the area where we have had the most unfavourable geological conditions, so hopefully we can think about maintaining this rhythm of drilling," Sougarret said.

Relatives of the miners, who have been camping at the San Jose mine since the men were trapped by a rock fall on 5 August, cheered when the progress was announced.

A steel capsule designed to pull the miners up through the narrow rescue shaft when the digging is complete is standing by on the surface. A field hospital has also been set up to give the men the medical attention they need when they emerge.

Interior ministry cabinet chief, Cristian Barra, said "We are preparing to be ready in 15 days to complete the rescue at any time. This does not mean this will happen in 15 days, but all the installations - the hospital, the medical team, the meeting point - everything required will be prepared."