Rescue workers on Monday reinforced a small drill hole to serve as an umbilical cord to 33 miners found alive 17 days after a cave-in in Chile’s far north. Rescue officials said it may take months to dig them out.

    In what relatives called a miracle, the miners on Sunday tied a note to a perforation drill that had bored a shaft the circumference of a grapefruit to the refuge where they are sheltered 700 meters vertically underground.

    Rescue workers now plan to use the bore hole to send plastic tubes containing glucose, hydration gels and food down to the miners to keep them alive while they dig a new shaft to extract them -- which could take up to four months.

    Engineers coated the sides of the bore hole and began to send food and supplies down the shaft. The next stage is to make a second shaft for ventilation and third for extraction.

    <<<背景介绍

       上周日晚智利圣何塞铜矿的救援现场一片欢庆的场面，矿工的家属们吃着烤肉，踏着音乐的节拍舞动着，烛光闪烁、国旗飘扬，荒凉的矿场显得颇有节日气氛。近几年被困井下如此之久的矿工，能获救的没有几个。去年，在中国南部，三名矿工在被困25天依然生还。1983年在中国东北也救了两名被困了23天的矿工。