SAN JOSE MINE, Chile (AP) — A drilling rig punched through to the underground purgatory where 33 miners have been trapped for 66 agonizing days under the Chilean desert, raising cheers, tears and hopes on Saturday.

Champagne sprayed and hard hats tumbled off heads as rescue workers pressed close to the drill, hugging each other and shouting for joy. Down in "Camp Hope," where the miners' relatives waited, people waved flags and cried as one man energetically rang a brass bell even before the siren sounded confirming the escape shaft had reached the miners.

The men are still several days away from efforts to bring them to the surface: the rescue team wants to eliminate even a remote chance of something going wrong on their way up, and plans to carefully inspect the shaft with a video camera before deciding whether to reinforce it.

Relatives waiting at "Camp Hope" on the surface waved Chilean flags and shouted with joy as word spread of the breakthrough, and one man frantically rang a bell even before a siren sounded to officially confirm that the escape shaft had reached the miners. They are still several days away from rescue: Engineers must first check the shaft and decide whether to reinforce it before pulling them to the surface.

"We feel an enormous happiness, now that i'm going to have my brother," said Darwin Contreras, whose brother Pedro, a 26-year-old heavy machine operator, is stuck down below. "When the siren rang out, it was overwhelming. Now we just have to wait for them to get out, just a little bit longer now."

The "Plan B" drill won a three-way race against two other drills to carve a hole wide enough for an escape capsule to pull the miners out one by one.

While "Plan A" and "Plan C" stalled after repeatedly veering off course, the "Plan B" drill reached the miners at a point 2,041 feet (622 meters) below the surface at 8:05 a.m., after 33 days of drilling.

Jeff Hart of Denver, Colorado, operated the drill, and said the entire rescue crew erupted with cheers when the T130 broke through.

"There is nothing more important than saving, possibly saving 33 lives. There's no more important job than that," Hart said. "We've done our part, now it's up to them to get the rest of the way out."

The milestone thrilled Chileans, who have come to see the rescue drama as a test of the nation's character and pride, and eased some anxiety among the miners' families.

But now comes a difficult judgment call: The rescue team must decide whether it's more risky to pull the miners through unreinforced rock, or to insert tons of heavy steel pipe into the curved shaft to protect the miners on their way up.

"This is an important achievement," Mining Minister Laurence Golborne said, "but we still haven't rescued anybody. This rescue won't be over until the last person below leaves this mine."

President Sebastian Pinera promised "to do everything humanly possible" to keep the miners safe, and as the drill was nearing the breakthrough, he said he had kept his promise.

Those in charge of the rescue say the decision on how to proceed next will be a purely technical one.

While engineers have said there is only a remote chance of something going wrong, everyone involved knows how terrible it would be — politically as well as for the families — if a miner gets stuck partway up for reasons that might have been avoided.

Steel pipe would prevent stones from falling and potentially jamming the capsule, but it wouldn't save a miner if the unstable mine suffers another major collapse, and might itself provoke a disastrous setback, Golborne said.

"You would have to put though a 600-meter hole a lot of pipes that weigh more than 150 tons," he warned. "And this structure can be set in a position that also could block the movement of the Phoenix (escape capsule). It's not an decision easy to make."

If Saturday's close video examination persuades engineers that the shaft is smooth, strong and uniform enough to let the capsule pass without significant obstacles, then rescuers plan to start pulling the men out one by one as early as Tuesday, in a made-for-TV spectacle that has captivated the world.

The miners will be initially examined at a field hospital where they can briefly reunited with up to three close relatives. Then, they'll be flown by helicopter in small groups to the regional hospital in Copiapo, where 33 fresh beds await and they will be observed for at least 48 hours. Only after their physical and mental health is thoroughly examined will they be allowed to go home.

"I'm very excited, very happy," said Guadalupe Alfaro, waving a flag outside her tent. Her son Carlos Bugueno, 26, is stuck down below. "I'm very excited, very content. I've wanted so long for this moment, I woke up to live this moment. My son will return soon."

"Our nervousness is gone now," said Juan Sanchez, whose son Jimmy is stuck in the mine. "Only now can we begin to smile."

___


http://www.oleantimesherald.com

I am happy for the miners!

68 days trapped underground! Wow. They should be taken care of for life!

Nigeria ke!
Dem for don cover di hole!

Beaf:

Nigeria ke!
Dem for don cover di hole!

lol

Nope! Human lives come cheap in Nigeria. The motivation to help the suffering masses out of sympathy and value for human lives is not in their dictionary. If they venture to do anything at all, it will probably be because the rescue operation would be a veritable source of funds to embezzle by the vagabonds - and they will eventually bungle the rescue operation.

I have been running this thread below for them. Can we all say prayers for their safe rescue People. I'm all frayed out and in nerves right now watching the first paramedic being sent in there in BBC. Do they really have to send in somebody and increase the numbers, they should hurry up and bring out those men for me----I feel their pains so much

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-504625.0.html

Hugs to everybody as the first miner is rescued--------Everybody bless the Lord!

@Poster, Let me just say it this way. A nightmare of mine as a kid growing up in Nigeria had been. . . falling into a hole/finding myself trapped in a hole/underground, and having to depend on the Nigerian Government/people for rescue . . . aaaarrrggghhhhh!!!

Ivynwa:

Hugs to everybody as the first miner is rescued--------Everybody bless the Lord!

nigerians and their recourse to "god" every 2 mins. What shld we "bless the Lord" about? That the Chilean government is alive to its responsibility to its citizens?

1 miner just rescued!

Kobojunkie:

@Poster, Let me just say it this way. A nightmare of mine as a kid growing up in Nigeria had been. . . falling into a hole/finding myself trapped in a hole/underground, and having to depend on the Nigerian Government/people for rescue . . . aaaarrrggghhhhh!!!

I just thought about what you said and I am saying a little prayer for all the Nigerians that have died in holes that we did not know about. In the north, east, west everywhere in Nigeria.

A group of trapped miners in Nigeria would be abandoned to their fate while the president of the country would call for national prayers and fasting. After sufficient time had elapsed for all the trapped victims to die, they would have been declared "National Heroes", and their families would be promised compensation which would be issued later, but diverted into the pockets of government officials.

Within 24 hours of the death of all victims,  internet 419 fraudsters would mass-mail millions of appeals for funds to feed the families of the departed, while the government would issue multi-million dollar contracts to Juju-magicians who would claim the ability to bring the dead men back to life.  Meanwhile printing presses would hurriedly churn out color calendars featuring photos of dead bodies, which would be claimed to be those of the dead miners.

Praise the Lord !

Jakumo:

A group of trapped miners in Nigeria would be abandoned to their fate while the president of the country would call for national prayers and fasting. After sufficient time had elapsed for all the trapped victims to die, they would have been declared "National Heroes", and their families would be promised compensation which would be issued later, but diverted into the pockets of government officials.

Within 24 hours of the death of all victims,  internet 419 fraudsters would mass-mail millions of appeals for funds to feed the families of the departed, while the government would issue multi-million dollar contracts to Juju-magicians who would claim the ability to bring the dead men back to life.  Meanwhile printing presses would hurriedly churn out color calendars featuring photos of dead bodies, which would be claimed to be those of the dead miners.

Praise the Lord !

Beaf:

Nigeria ke!
Dem for don cover di hole!

I came close to tears after they pulled the first miner out.

What I found outstanding was the level of national and international support this operation is receiving.
God! The Chileans are really patriotic. And of course I pat the American company that designed the rescue capsule. That is the spirit of America! Never say impossible. I doubt the Chileans could have done this on their own.

Jakumo:

A group of trapped miners in Nigeria would be abandoned to their fate while the president of the country would call for national prayers and fasting. After sufficient time had elapsed for all the trapped victims to die, they would have been declared "National Heroes", and their families would be promised compensation which would be issued later, but diverted into the pockets of government officials.

Within 24 hours of the death of all victims,  internet 419 fraudsters would mass-mail millions of appeals for funds to feed the families of the departed, while the government would issue multi-million dollar contracts to Juju-magicians who would claim the ability to bring the dead men back to life.  Meanwhile printing presses would hurriedly churn out color calendars featuring photos of dead bodies, which would be claimed to be those of the dead miners.

Praise the Lord !

                       Funny, though the best bet

All 33 of them are definately gona be on Oprah

mubaraqqq:

I just thought about what you said and I am saying a little prayer for all the Nigerians that have died in holes that we did not know about. In the north, east, west everywhere in Nigeria.

@Mubarraqq
You are right there Mubbarraqq
Every day we all need to play for our fellow Nigerians who are dying in literal holes of poverty, joblessness, ignorance etc
We all need to make use of these threads and be putting heads together for innovative ways to make life better for Nigerians. I have said that before.
Enough of the negativity of "Nigeria being the worst country" Let us begin to find a way to push it forward and make Life better people. Tommorrow I am going to visit that facebook page of Jonathan's, it's high time they heard it from us people how we want things run. We run that country, we all together, they better know that while losing themselves in tribalistic politics.


Abeg you all are invited to come and be part of the "joy party" taking place at my thread through this link
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-504625.0.html

Very loud applause.  It can happen in Nigeria, only that the price of disel and fuel can sour the project in the long term. Power has to be constant and affordable.  

Beaf:

Nigeria ke!
Dem for don cover di hole!

i think he is right. We dont value lives in naija, we dont have the tech, we are very corrupt,the citizens dont even know their rights.
i think our goodluck is overstreched. We better get it right or else forget it.

im watching on cnn now, hope they all make it

How about the story of the Bolivian who came out 4th? he has not been put down the pecking order merely because he is non-Chilean.

His rescue has been purely decided on medical grounds.

May God bless the Chilean people for their unity and steadfastness all through this episode.

I am also proud of President Piniera for his leadership. He is a Hero himself.
I heard the Chilean President had always carried the first letter from the miners wherever he went since they discovered the miners were alive.

Jakumo:

A group of trapped miners in Nigeria would be abandoned to their fate while the president of the country would call for national prayers and fasting. After sufficient time had elapsed for all the trapped victims to die, they would have been declared "National Heroes", and their families would be promised compensation which would be issued later, but diverted into the pockets of government officials.

Within 24 hours of the death of all victims,  internet 419 fraudsters would mass-mail millions of appeals for funds to feed the families of the departed, while the government would issue multi-million dollar contracts to Juju-magicians who would claim the ability to bring the dead men back to life.  Meanwhile printing presses would hurriedly churn out color calendars featuring photos of dead bodies, which would be claimed to be those of the dead miners.

Praise the Lord !

Lol. Hhahahahahahahaha.

Onlytruth:



I came close to tears after they pulled the first miner out.

What I found outstanding was the level of national and international support this operation is receiving.
God! The Chileans are really patriotic. And of course I pat the American company that designed the rescue capsule. That is the spirit of America! Never say impossible. I doubt the Chileans could have done this on their own.

No lie, if there was even a single Yoruba amongst them u'd have been hoping he died, remained trapped in there or that the capsule got fuccked up while he was in it on his ride back up, right? Beast!

If this had happened in Nigeria, specifically Eastern Nigeria, oh my would those cannibals have had a field day!

I can just see OnlyTruth, EzeUche and Eziachi leading a pack of Village youths jumping into that labyrinth (head first) totting tomatoes, peppers, skewers, Barbecue sauce, firewood and whatever else necessary to commence a scrumptious meal of Hispanic-flavored human meat!

Praise be to God.
What a nation of wonderful people.
The President has been keeping vigil like the rest of the families
May God lead Nigeria aright to attain a level where love to others will be all that matters.

Onlytruth:


I came close to tears after they pulled the first miner out.
What I found outstanding was the level of national and international support this operation is receiving.
God! The Chileans are really patriotic. And of course I pat the American company that designed the rescue capsule. That is the spirit of America! Never say impossible. I doubt the Chileans could have done this on their own.

I almost cried when the second guy was being rescued - his spirit was so high. He was cracking jokes as h was being brought out.
After hugging almost everybody in sight, he handed out rocks he had specially picked to the president, his wife and others as memorabilia.

The indomitable spirit of the people has been outstanding. The miners had the country’s flag with them in the mine as they waited to be rescued – singing the national anthem proudly.

A number of us would not have anything to do with the country’s flag. When I see the way we treat our national symbols, I am sometimes torn between laughing and weeping. The flag comes in all shades of green; we don’t even know which the correct one is anymore. You now see the flag with the coat of arms emblazoned on the white part. We need to teach civics in our schools again.

A number of us send our children to ‘international’ schools that seemingly want to separate the children from their roots.  I just came across a thread (https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-529710.0.html) where the OP is asking:
“Would you let your husband and his family force you to send your 5 year old back to your village in Naija to "learn respect and be brought up with a "strong pride" in Nigeria" ? (this is their reasoning for doing this).”

The ordeliness of the Chileans is also something that struck me. You could see that the crowd of onlookers was properly managed. What happens in Nigeria often times when there are disasters is that rather than the professionals (policemen, firemen, etc) handling the situation, groups of local residents take charge of rescue efforts when the professionals don’t arrive early enough ( actually, people don’t expect them to arrive early or to arrive at all). Some of these “sympathizers “ end up manifesting their true intentions when they begin to loot the properties of the victims.

The miners all volunteered to be the last to be rescued. My people would probably have all schemed to be the first to be rescued.

Gov. Fashola was at the scene of the recent flood disaster but his vehicle could not reach there because impatient drivers had caused a deadlock. The governor and his entourage had to wade through the water to get there. If only we could be orderly, things would definitely be much better for us.

Some people here have criticed us for our religious attitite to such events. If you monitored the saga carefully, you would have observed that the Chileans have exhibited the same religious streak as we would. In fact, the sister of one of the miners said that her brother had written to her saying that he would now take his religion seriously. Virtually the whole nation lit up candles praying for the miners.

If you ask me, God has indeed answered their prayers.
So the issue is not about being religious, it is about being religious and doing the right things – work and pray!

mikeansy:

How about the story of the Bolivian who came out 4th? he has not been put down the pecking order merely because he is non-Chilean.
His rescue has been purely decided on medical grounds.
May God bless the Chilean people for their unity and steadfastness all through this episode.
I am also proud of President Piniera for his leadership. He is a Hero himself.
I heard the Chilean President had always carried the first letter from the miners wherever he went since they discovered the miners were alive.

The president showed true leadership qualities. His wife has been there for days. She stood by the wife of each of the miners as they were being brought out - hugging and encouraging them as their husbands were being lifted out. The second miner even hugged her tightly despite the state he must have being in.

No doubt the assistance provided by the Americans no doubt brought about the significant progress and professionalism we have witnessed. But it still boils down to leadership and the good spirit of the people.
Haitians are regular victims of natural disasters yet they have not been able manage any of such crises.
Can anyone tell me who the current president of Haiti is? Almost no one. Why? They are nowhere to be found when such disasters strike! But people all over the world have now heard of a man called Pinera!
Is it a black thing?

Yet we must also note that it is poverty that drove these men to take the risks they have taken. One of the miners confided in his wife, his concerns about safety in that particular mine.  The president and the mining minister have all admitted that there are shortcomings that need to be addressed. Let us hope they sincerely do so. They should not be like us who always go back to our phenomenal ‘drawing board’ each time something adverse happens!

^^^^^

That second guy, Mario Sepulveda is a Natural Soldier, I love his charisma. They said he was their spokesman while they were underground and you can clearly see why.

^^^
I love the guy's spirit.

I am sure the news media will tail him for a while.

I won't be surprised if he is made the main character of a flick about the saga.

The President of Chile deserves some commendation. He stayed up all night encouraging the engineers and rescuers. He is on hand to receive the miners and offer words of encouragement and there are no visible overzealous policemen harassing people.

I love Chile

Emotional. . .

Brilliant job by the rescuers and Chilean Government and a strong mind and faith from the trapped miners their families.

aaaaaamen