Trapped Australian miners still await rescue

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

SYDNEY, May 1 (Reuters) Two Australian miners trapped a kilometre (more than half a mile) underground following an earth tremor six days ago may have to wait another two days to be rescued, officials said.

The men, trapped in a gold mine in the southern island state of Tasmania, were found yesterday huddled in a small metal cage, surviving on mineral-laced water run-off.

Despite rescuers drilling a small hole through to the men they have still received no food or fresh water.

''We must all hope the two men are safely brought to the surface,'' Prime Minister John Howard said yesterday.

A third miner was found dead by rescuers on Thursday.

Australian Workers' Union national secretary Bill Shorten said the rescue operation at the Beaconsfield Gold Mine, about 150 km north of Hobart, involved drilling a new tunnel through to the men, which was a slow and delicate process.

''The (estimated) 48-hour clock, that clock hasn't started to run yet because they still need to get food and water to them,'' Shorten told reporters today.

''It's going to take a long time. You have to replenish them physically in order that they are able to cope with the next stage of the work.'' Geoscience Australia said preliminary data showed the tremor, which caused the rockfall inside the mine on Tuesday evening, had a magnitude of 2.1. There was some speculation that it might have been caused by mine blasting.

Reuters SHB DB1120

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