Rescue of the Chilean Miners

Workers operate the T130 drill machine, which is digging a hole for trapped miners to escape from. (Photo: Ivan Alvarado/Reuters)

On August 5, 2010, the roof of the San José copper-gold mine collapsed, leaving 33 miners trapped underground. Almost 2 months later they are still trapped, but a plan to free them has finally been put into action. Drilling is currently underway to open up a shaft to the miners through which a metal cage can be let down and the 33 men hauled up one by one. Family and friends, who have set up camp above where the miners are trapped, have high hopes the men will all be out before November.

A frame grab shows the drill bit of a machine, the T 130, after being removed from the escape hole. (Photo: Ho New/Reuters)

A precision drilling machine that will dig an escape hole for the 33 miners who are trapped deep underground inside the copper and gold mine. (Photo: STRINGER Chile/Reuters)

Workers lower supplies to the miners. (Photo: STRINGER Chile/Reuters)

A miner's helmet lies on a rock decorated with names of some miners at the camp where relatives of the 33 miners trapped deep underground inside a copper and gold mine are staying. (Photo: STRINGER Chile/Reuters)

A relative of one of the miners trapped underground lights a candle outside the mine at Copiapo. (Photo: STRINGER Chile/Reuters)

Candles are seen lit behind a religious statue in front of which relatives pray for the 33 miners. (Photo: Ivan Alvarado/Reuters)

A nun walks through a campground where relatives of trapped miners are living as the rescue operation continues in Copiapo. (Photo: STRINGER Chile/Reuters)

Maria Segovia, sister of Mario Segovia, one of the 33 miners trapped underground in a copper and gold mine, arranges her tent in the makeshift campground as digging to rescue the miners continues. (Photo: STRINGER Chile/Reuters)

Magaly Mena, sister in law of Dario Segovia, one of the 33 miners who are trapped deep inside a copper and gold mine in an accident on August 5, reads a letter sent from him, at the relatives camp near Copiapo. (Photo: STRINGER Chile/Reuters)

Camila Campillay, granddaughter of Mario Gomez, one of the 33 miners trapped in a copper and gold mine, walks with her mother Romina Gomez (not pictured) in their camp. (Photo: STR New/Reuters)

Guadalupe Alfaro, mother of trapped miner Carlos Bugueno, displays a Chilean flag signed by all 33 of the trapped miners and sent to the surface up the hole through which they receive all their supplies as they await rescue. (Photo: STRINGER Chile/Reuters)

A truck travels along a road to the San Jose copper and gold mine at Copiapo. (Photo: Ivan Alvarado/Reuters)

A miner from San Jose mine digs a hole in the ground before setting up a banner in support of 33 trapped miners and their families in Copiapo. (Photo: Ivan Alvarado/Reuters)

A Chilean flag printed with the portraits of the 33 miners trapped underground inside a copper and gold mine flutters near the precision drilling machine (C) that will dig a escape hole for them. (Photo: STRINGER Chile/Reuters)

Andre Sougarret, the head of the team of workers, talks via video conference with Mario Sepulveda, one of the 33 trapped miners in a copper and gold mine at Copiapo. (Photo: Ho New/Reuters)

Pictured are a precision drilling machine (R) and the T-130 drill machine (L, rear) which has dug a 12 inch guide hole to a garage next to the refuge where 33 miners are trapped deep underground inside a copper and gold mine near Copiapo. (Photo: Ivan Alvarado/Reuters)

A work team prepares the land where a special drill, the Xtrata 950, which will dig an escape hole for the 33 miners who are trapped underground in a copper and gold mine. (Photo: Ivan Alvarado/Reuters)

Workers prepare a video camera (C) to check on miners trapped in a deep underground copper and gold mine. (Photo: Ivan Alvarado/Reuters)

Workers operate a T130 drill machine which is digging a tunnel to extract the 33 trapped miners from a copper and gold mine in Copiapo. (Photo: Ivan Alvarado/Reuters)

A drill machine, the Xtrata 950 (C), that will dig an escape hole from the top of a hill where 33 miners are trapped underground in a copper and gold mine is seen at Copiapo. (Photo: Ho New/Reuters)

Fishermen from the coastal town of Caldera offer a meal to relatives of miners trapped underground since August 5. (Photo: STRINGER Chile/Reuters)

Workers load a tube used for sending supplies to 33 miners trapped in a deep underground copper and gold mine at Copiapo. (Photo: STRINGER Chile/Reuters)

A Schramm T130 Drill, normally used to bore water wells. (Photo: STRINGER Chile/Reuters)

Workers talk in front of the Precision Drilling machine (rear), which is digging a hole to rescue 33 trapped miners from a copper and gold mine. (Photo: Ivan Alvarado/Reuters)

Workers check a drill bit of the Precision Drilling machine which is digging a hole. (Photo: Ivan Alvarado/Reuters)

A crane lifts a capsule that will be used as part of rescue operations at the camp for the miners' relatives at the San Jose copper and gold mine. (Photo: Ivan Alvarado/Reuters)

A worker tests a capsule that will be used as part of rescue operations at the camp for the miners' relatives at the San Jose copper and gold mine. (Photo: STRINGER Chile/Reuters)