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In pictures: the Chilean mining incident

33 Chilean miners will be trapped underground for over 120 days while an escape hole is drilled thro

The men have been trapped since 5 August, when the main access tunnel to their work site collapsed. They are located about 700 metres vertically underground, seven kilometres (4.5 miles) inside the winding mine.

Here are pictures from the scenes nearby.

Chile - letter

Romina Gómez writes a letter to be sent through a drill to her father, the miner Mario Gómez.

Chile - relatives

Relatives of the men trapped in the San José gold and copper mine in Copiapó cheer after receiving confirmation that all 33 had survived.

Chile - crowd

Relatives of the men trapped in the San José gold and copper mine in Copiapó, 800 kilometres north of Santiago, celebrate with the Chilean senator Isabel Allende (centre, in white shirt and dark jacket) as a new drilling machine arrives at the site on 23 August.

Chile - drill

Workers instal the drilling machine at the San José mine.

Chile - relative 2

A relative of a trapped miner waits for news outside San José site.

Chile - banner

Picture of a banner with portraits of the 33 trapped miners.

Chile - note

The Chilean president, Sebastián Piñera, displays a message from the men underground reading: "We are fine in the refuge, the 33 of us."

30 comments

Cheryl from Canada's picture

My heart goes out to all the men in that mine. I just don't have words to say how i feel. I pray that the men and their families are given the strength to get through this. I will be thinking of you all until they are all back up safe and sound.

sanjeewa's picture

Hi, iam from Sri Lanka, the purl of the Indian ocean, i wish all the success to rescue team and, finally hope to see all 33 mining workers in very near future, good luck, Buddha may bless you all..........

jie4v7i14's picture

You've got to be really brave to mine in an earthquake zone. Wonder what caused this mine collapse?

John Emery's picture

May God continue to give these valiant miners COURAGE,OPTIMISM,and HEALTH as they endure the time until their freedom

indukumar. nileshwar's picture

let the trueth save your life....not the help less god.... if god is there nothing of this sort will happen. wish you a speedy return

Ron Levasseur's picture

Our prayers are with the miners, their families and for your whole country.

San Gold Corp.
Manitoba, Canada

thinkov's picture

Willing their safe return every day
and willing the demise of the evil mining company to

Cathy W Canada's picture

Please tell the miners that the world waits for them and to not give up........

Tapan Dutta's picture

I PRAY TO GOD,FOR THOSE TRAPPED PEOPLE TO SAVE THEM AT ANY COST BY THESE 120 DAYS, A CRITICAL TEST OF
STRUGGLING FOR SURVIVE & NOT TO SEIZE THEIR FAMILY'S HAPPINESS.

Mero's picture

Our lord jesus will save all of them but they should belive he can do. God give u streng and hope for whole time waiting to see eath again

Mero's picture

Our lord jesus will save all of them but they should belive he can do. God give u strength and hope for whole time waiting to see earth again

Manual John,Kottayam,India.'s picture

Lord give them the courage to stay put till rescued.

triedeinsursE's picture

These guys started their day this morning by singing their national anthem. What inspirational courage and collective patriotism. May they all be quickly and safely returned home to their families. Let's remember them in our prayers.

Patricia Murambiwa's picture

May God 's guidance be upon all these men and their families

Adrian's picture

May God bless and protect all the miners while they await their rescue

Through Jesus all things are possible

Yak's picture

My thought and prayers goes out to these miners, their families,friends and all those working to get them out.

jeremiah's picture

Miners the world over are hard bastards. This is the kind of spirit that Thatcher and her cronies destroyed.

I hope they will all be safe in the end.

s.gowri shankar's picture

I PRAY TO THE ALMIGHTY FOR SAFE AND EARLY RETURN OF THE MINERS.

Emmanuel's picture

GOD HAVE MERCY.AS A GEOSCIENTIST I KNOW THAT THIS IS A TIME OF TRIAL AND PATIENCE FOR THE MINERS.GOD WILL SURELY PERFORM HIS MIRACLE.THE EARTH MUST BE SUBDUED.

jie4v7i14's picture

They're lucky that it is copper they're mining. If it was a coal mine, they most probably would have been overcome by methane by now, without any ventilation.

Marina's picture

THe 13th day October this is the Mother of Heavens month and on the 13th three children in Fatima saw a vision of Our Lady standing on a bush.
13th February was the first of nine months each month till October she visited the children except August when the children were arrested and put into a dungeon prison by the government with hardend criminals because of the visions with all the poeple and families of the children they prayed for the release of these children and the vision took place on 19th August when they were released.
They were told on 13th October there will be a mirical of the Sun.
Everyone in Fatima and other countries gathered at the cova where Our Lady appeared on a cold and very wet day where everyone was standing in rain upto there ankels waiting for this mirical to happen.
The sun came down to the earth almost as though it had fallen from the sky and dried the land and the people not to mention the miricals that took place of healings and reconsiliation.
Then the sun opened to reveal Our Lady of carmel with St Joseph and baby Jesus and two other visions of Our Lady to commemorate the day the Sun fell to the earth.
This very day when the miners were rescued was a day full of prayer from the families and Chileans and the sun was shining till the last minor was out in the open with his family.

michel larochelle's picture

Don't give up ! Hope you will be all safe and if i could do something to help i would. - Quebec, Canada

Marsha Broussard's picture

If God brings you to it...He'll get you through it. One of the miners said, there isn't 33 of us down here. There's 34, for God is with us! I pray for all people involved in this accident, rescue and coverage...but I pray especially for those of you who are non-believers! May God have mercy on you when you find out how wrong you are!

sajeem's picture

i am sure ,the almighty ALLAH will protect u and will be with u.me, my wife and my 4 yr child is praying for u everyday.

jeremiah's picture

@Martin L. Perhaps if they had assualted a few more scabs we would still have a fully functioning mining industry in this country.

"Chaps"-?! Tory Git.

Tom's picture

I pray that the Lord will perform a miracle and save the lives of all the trapped miners.

Naveen's picture

May God be with them throughout and protect them with his miraculous deeds. I pray that all the miners are rescued well on time. God please give wisdom and guidance to miners and the resuce team to accomplish the mission ahead.

Martin L's picture

wishing the hard working chaps a safe return xxx

jerem you can't help yourself can you, the same miners who bullied everyone. On my street they assaulted 'scabs' and smashed their houses up. Grow up you idiot.

Liz C's picture

My prayers are with all of these 33 men and there familys! This is so sad!!!

Eva's picture

Chile overcame the war in the '70s. They can and will overcome any obstacle that stands in their way!!

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