MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Twenty tons of drilling shafts trucked 4.100 km to help rescue Chilean miners

Three trucks left this week from Punta Arenas, extreme south of Chile

Three trucks transporting special shafts for drilling equipment to be used in the rescue of the 33 miners trapped 700 metres underground in northern Chile, left from Punta Arenas in the extreme south of Chile.

The shafts were ordered by Chile’s oil and gas company ENAP which is also involved in the rescue operations in the San Jose mine and are a crucial piece of an alternative plan if other attempts to bore the ground and lift the 33 miners out, fails.

The three trucks will have to travel 4.100 kilometres mostly along Argentine territory and should be arriving in the north of Chile in five days time.

The total cargo weighs over twenty tons, with an average 400 kilos for each crank. Additional precision equipments is also part of the cargo.

Meanwhile according to the latest news a convoy of dozens of trucks transporting a massive oil drilling machine arrived last Friday at the site of the San Jose gold and copper mine in Chile.

The drill is the third one being employed to try to rescue the miners, who have now been underground for 36 days. It has been labelled “Plan C” and it is hoped that it will speed the rescue effort.

However, freedom for the trapped miners is likely to still be months away.

The 33 men were trapped by a mine cave-in on August 5. But it was not until August 22 that they were discovered alive.

Rescuers have been sending food, medicine and relatives' letters through a chute to where the miners are located, 700 meters below the surface.