33 trapped Chile miners found alive after 17 days

From USA TODAY:

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — For 33 men found alive after 17 days trapped deep in a copper and gold mine, the toughest challenge now may be preserving their sanity during the months it may take to carve a tunnel big enough for them to get out.

Chileans were euphoric Sunday after a narrow drill broke through 2,257 feet of solid rock to reach an emergency refuge where the miners had gathered. The trapped men quickly tied two notes to the end of a probe that rescuers pulled to the surface, announcing in big red letters: “All 33 of us are fine in the shelter.”

But rescuers said it could take as long as four months — until around Christmas — to carve a second shaft some 27 inches in diameter, wide enough for the miners to be pulled up one by one…

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