Trapped Chilean miners have to wait four months until they are freed !

This is an extraordinary story that I have just come across.

Six steps to survival for Chile miners


I have to confess that I was unaware of this incident until I read this BBC article.

The roof of this copper mine in San José, Chile, collapsed on them, yet all 33 miners are alive, and they are getting supplies passed down to them through a tiny hole:

Glucose, rehydration tablets, oxygen and medicine have made their way down from the surface through an 8cm lifeline and into the miners' refuge, which is thought to be about 50 square metres, although some reports say it could be larger.

It will apparently take up to four months until they can bore a large enough hole for the miners to evacuate.


On the plus side, there is bound to be a huge deal of camaraderie formed between these miners, and they may well look back on the incident with a strange sense of fondness ( as long as everything goes according to plan ).

reply to post by Sherlock Holmes


I still wonder why it should be humanities priority to eliminate these types of jobs by designing robots to do it. It seems silly to me that someone would risk their life at the expense of a really good paycheck and insurance plan, to make someone else rich.

Originally posted by ExPostFacto
It seems silly to me that someone would risk their life at the expense of a really good paycheck and insurance plan, to make someone else rich.

So you would blame the poor man who is working to support his family in perhaps the only way he knows how?

I think the blame should go to corporate irresponsibility! These corporations have disrespected human life and shown gross neglect for the safety of their employees.

All possible complications should have been discussed prior to putting others in harms way and resolutions and safeguards should have been in place prior to endangering them.

Also, these corporations have most likely not been honest with their workers concerning dangers and have probably implied safety where there is none.

Originally posted by ExPostFacto
reply to post by Sherlock Holmes

 

I still wonder why it should be humanities priority to eliminate these types of jobs by designing robots to do it. It seems silly to me that someone would risk their life at the expense of a really good paycheck and insurance plan, to make someone else rich.

It's true that it's a dangerous job, and we occasionally hear on the news about mining disasters in China, South Africa and South America.

Yet as we speak, there are thousands of people, inside hundreds of mines, working in China alone.

I think it's one of those things like travelling on a plane: 99.999% of the time it's ok, but when there is a disaster, then there is large scale loss of life.

[edit on 24-8-2010 by Sherlock Holmes]

reply to post by Alethea


I didn't mean what I stated the way you took it. I actually agree with you. Just because these people are probably receiving a decent pay does not mean the risk they take should be worth it. The corporations that make a profit off these operations are probably more concerned with the loss of production than the people and what they are going through.

I bet the first one that get's eaten is the complainer.

LOL

But in all seriousness, what are they going to do, put rocks over their fecal mater so they can't smell it?

It's not like they can bury it if they are in a mine and 4 months times 33 full grown men is a WHOLE LOT of poo.

reply to post by Jeanius

It's not like they can bury it if they are in a mine and 4 months times 33 full grown men is a WHOLE LOT of poo.

Wow, definitely. I didn't think about that.

I wonder if they will be fed a diet that wouldn't create too much excrement, because if they have no way to get rid of their body wastes they are in trouble.

How are they going to go without a wash for 4 months... they might be able to strip wash, but conditions inside will be horrible. Each man will have 1.3 meters (my math might be too wrong) to himself, if reports of 33 men to a 50 meter space are accurate.

They're going to need to pump magazines and books down there.

reply to post by Jeanius



It depends.

The article says that they are in an area that is at least 50 square metres.

There is plenty of room there for them to designate a de facto toilet area, and they could dig some latrines ( they've probably got some good tools on them ).

I don't deny that the smell may be pretty bad, but don't forget that they won't be able to have a proper wash for 4 months, so there's bound to be quite an unpleasant smell down there anyway - which I'm sure they'll get used to, over time.


[edit on 24-8-2010 by Sherlock Holmes]

I could just see this turned into a "reality show". Talk about survivor... But in all seriousness, there has to be a better way to mine so things like this stop occurring. Mining like this, small shafts haphazardly propped up, should be abandoned. Oh how I wish mining commodities was as easy as in RTS games. Select a peon to mine gold at a conveniently laid gold mine on the surface... "Work Complete.". Sadly this is not the case... Zug zug.

Four months to clear two cave-ins? I'm thinking the kids in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom could do it faster.

My money says there's no way this lasts 4 months. I give it less than a week before some celebrities and politicians take up the cause and create charities and relief funds. It will go just like any other natural disaster. People will contribute, countries will donate, money will be raised. A lot of the money will disappear, but some will be used to get machinery and expertise to clear the cave-ins. When the contributions start to decline, and people start to ask why it's taking so long, the miners will be freed.

"Never waste a good crisis."

Those 33 guys are experiencing the closest to living in hell as you could almost get. 90+ degrees farenheit deep below the surface living in your own waste for a huge amount of time.
Ugh. I hope it takes less time than they forecasted--for their sanitys sake.

Originally posted by Chamberf=6
Those 33 guys are experiencing the closest to living in hell as you could almost get. 90+ degrees farenheit deep below the surface living in your own waste for a huge amount of time.
Ugh. I hope it takes less time than they forecasted--for their sanitys sake.

But, there's the hope.

They may have to live in squalid conditions down there, but there's always going to be the expectation of eventual freedom.


I think there will be some major friendships forged, and the people involved will come out of the experience for the better.

What an extraordinary story. My thoughts are with them.

I was thinking, perhaps in time they'll be at peace with their environment, simillar maybe to kidnapees with Stockholm Syndrome.

Just a thought...

Originally posted by star in a jar Each man will have 1.3 meters (my math might be too wrong) to himself, if reports of 33 men to a 50 meter space are accurate.

They have more room than that:

"They fired up a bulldozer to carve into a natural water deposit, but otherwise minimized using the vehicles that contaminate the available air.

The miners can still reach many chambers and access ramps in the lower reaches of the mine, and have used a separate chamber some distance from their reinforced emergency chamber as their bathroom. But they have mostly stayed in the shelter, where they knew rescuers would try to reach them."
www.news.com.au...

33 miners trapped in a cave.

The world is watching.

Pope Benedict XVI said Sunday he was praying constantly for the Chilean miners. If he is praying constantly for the miners he is praying for no one else. Constantly for the miners.

Amen = 1+13+5+14= 33

John Paul 1st lasted 33 days.

Jesus died aged 33.

Are the freemasons being held hostage?

Please ignore this.