How do we keep the miners alive? Chile asks NASA

San Jose, Aug 26: As the 33 trapped miners try to save their sanity while they wait to be pulled up, the Chile government is reportedly seeking NASA's guidance on ways to keep them alive for the extended period of time.

The group of miners have been trapped in a mine shaft shelter since Aug 5. It took authorities 17 days to find the miners alive.

On Aug 22, a rescue probe that drilled down 2,257ft to the bottom of the San Jose mine finally reached them.

While narrow plastic tubes have been sent down to provide the trapped miners with food, medical equipment and even communication equipment, the rescue authorities have estimated that it will take about four months (120 days) for an escape tunnel to be built.

Efforts are on to build a shaft that is 66cm (26 inches) in diameter.

Meanwhile, the miners are now talking to their kin from the collapsed mine through notes that are being sent through plastic tubes.

OneIndia News