Miners into 10th night underground
ABC Online, Australia
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The two trapped Tasmanian miners are facing their 10th night underground as the rescue operation enters its most dangerous phase.
Nearly a kilometre underground, the miners have slept as the rescue team ground a 16-metre pilot tunnel.
The rescue team is heartened there were no major vibrations in the collapsed rock and are proceeding towards the most dangerous phase - boring a wider, one-metre diameter rescue tunnel.
The national secretary of the Australian Workers Union, Bill Shorten, says the rescuers are tweaking the equipment.
"What they're doing is they're changing the header of the drill - this is a tonne and a quarter of machinery to be put on the drill bore to start the massive process of excavating the new rescue tunnel," he said.
Mine manager Matthew Gill says there are five contingency plans.
He will not describe his level of confidence.
Mr Gill says the rescue team is buoyed the operation is proceeding successfully.
He describes Todd Russell and Brant Webb as being in good health and not agitated, despite facing at least another two nights underground.
The men have requested chicken sandwiches for dinner.
May 04, 2006
ABC Online, Australia
_______________
The two trapped Tasmanian miners are facing their 10th night underground as the rescue operation enters its most dangerous phase.
Nearly a kilometre underground, the miners have slept as the rescue team ground a 16-metre pilot tunnel.
The rescue team is heartened there were no major vibrations in the collapsed rock and are proceeding towards the most dangerous phase - boring a wider, one-metre diameter rescue tunnel.
The national secretary of the Australian Workers Union, Bill Shorten, says the rescuers are tweaking the equipment.
"What they're doing is they're changing the header of the drill - this is a tonne and a quarter of machinery to be put on the drill bore to start the massive process of excavating the new rescue tunnel," he said.
Mine manager Matthew Gill says there are five contingency plans.
He will not describe his level of confidence.
Mr Gill says the rescue team is buoyed the operation is proceeding successfully.
He describes Todd Russell and Brant Webb as being in good health and not agitated, despite facing at least another two nights underground.
The men have requested chicken sandwiches for dinner.
May 04, 2006
