A 60-day state of emergency has been declared in four provinces of Cajamarca state, following violent protests against a gold-and-copper mining project which is part-owned by a US company.
Skilled workers are being invited to a seminar on Thursday in Dublin, with the WA Jobs Minister saying that they’ll take people back on the plane with them if possible.
CHILEAN AUTHORITIES HAVE released video footage of the 33 miners trapped in a mine for three weeks.
The miners sang the national anthem, joked with one another, and recorded messages for their families above them.
The video helped to relieve the fears of those waiting above ground when it was shown to them last night.
The miners recorded the following video for their friends and families waiting for their rescue:
Some of the miners give a tour of the makeshift refuge the 33 are crammed into:
We’ve organized everything really well down here,” one of the miners said, pointing to a corner reserved for medical supplies.
This is where we entertain ourselves, where we have a meeting every day, where we make plans. This is where we pray.
Authorities have warned the miners that it could take up to four months to rescue them, as they must drill a tunnel 688m deep, and wide enough for the men to pass through.
Families have been asked to stay positive in their communications to the miners, and Chilean authorities have asked NASA for advice on how best to keep the men in good mental health through their time in the mine.
Former astronaut Jerry Linenger, who was trapped on board the Mir space station for three months, said the most important thing was to be completely honest with the miners about the time involved in the rescue.
The family of one of the trapped men said it will sue the company which owns the mine, alleging the company was negligent in re-opening the mine after it was closed in 2007 following an accident. Chile’s mining service is also named on the lawsuit.
This ITN video contains English translations of some of the messages:
THE FAMILIES OF TRAPPED chilean miners have been asked to keep their letters to the trapped men optimistic, and not to dwell on the length of time a rescue may take.
On Sunday, the 33 men passed a message from their refuge to the surface saying they were safe and well, despite being trapped below ground for 17 days after a tunnel collapse at the main entrance on 5 August.
Competitive games have been ruled out as a means of keeping the men occupied while the rescue attempt rolls on, as psychologists say it’s important for the group to function as one unit.
Chile’s health minister Jaime Manalich said yesterday that it was important to keep the men informed of the rescue process and the weeks it may take, but experts have asked the families of the miners to stay upbeat in their communications.
Microphones allowing doctors and psychologists to speak to the men and keep them in stable conditions will be passed into the mine.
The men said they have been surviving on mouthfuls of tuna and milk since their confinement.
Rescuers began passing packages containing food, water, and medical supplies down to the trapped men yesterday, and plan to start including letters from relatives in the survival packages.
Lilianett Ramirez, wife of one of the miners, said yesterday:
Can you imagine? After 30 years of marriage we will start sending each other love letters again.
CHILEAN MINERS TRAPPED for over two weeks in a mine have sent a message to the surface saying they are still alive. The message reads in English: “We are well inside the shelter.”
The miners have been trapped underground since the collapse of the main access route on 5 August.
They attached the hand-written note to a drill which rescuers were probing the mine with.
But, it could take months to reach the men who are trapped about 700m (2,300 feet) underground.
Chilean president Sebastian Pinera visited the mine yesterday and said that all efforts would be made to rescue the men:
It will take months to get them out. It will take time, but it doesn’t matter how long it takes, to have a happy ending.
Food, water, and medical supplies will be passed into the mine to the men, but they face serious psychological challenges if it takes the time estimated to get them out.
A MOTION OF no confidence in the Minister for Justice will be debated in the Dáil next week with Fianna Fáil claiming Alan Shatter’s position is now “untenable”.
The opposition party has been fiercely critical of the Fine Gael deputy’s handling of an ongoing row with Independent TD Mick Wallace.
“The Minister has shown extremely poor judgement of late. In particular, he used private information he received from the Garda Commissioner to undermine an opposition TD on Prime Time last week,” Niall Collins charged.
Shatter is currently facing two investigations by the Data Protection Commissioner and the Standards in Public Office Commission over his actions. He was also forced to clarify the nature of an incident where he was breathalysed by gardaí but could not complete the test because of asthma.
Although the motion of no confidence is unlikely to pass (as the government can table a counter-motion), TheJournal.ie wants to know what you think. Is Alan Shatter’s position as minister untenable?
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