Chile begins feeding trapped miners

Chilean President Sebastian Pinera (L) holds a note reading "we are fine in the shelter, the 33 of us" from the 33 miners trapped in a copper mine near Copiapo in north Chile, Aug. 22, 2010. (Xinhua/Chilean Presidential Service)



Chilean Mining Minister Laurence Golborne said that they began sending glucose and water on Monday to the 33 miners trapped in "San Jose" copper mine, after they made contact with the miners on Sunday.

Golborne said that the rescue teams finished at 8:42 a.m. local time (1242 GMT) the process of placing a plastic tube some 700 meters deep, to the same place on Sunday they sent a video camera to see the miners.

He said that through this tube they will send down food, special hydration gels and medicines to the miners.

According to Golborne they expect on Monday noon the arrival of the machine Strata 959, which will drill a new hole to rescue one by one the miners.

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry has sent a team of psychologists for the miners' relatives and the miners through a webcam.

On Sunday the miners sent a message through a bore hole, saying "we are fine in the shelter, the 33 of us," which stunned the nation and the world, as they have been trapped there since Aug. 5.

Source: Xinhua