Efforts to free six coal miners trapped when a Utah mine collapsed nine days ago continued today, with mine officials hoping to break through a third bore hole that might finally yield some evidence of the men.

Rescuers are to drill a third hole in a bid to locate six trapped Utah miners after a video camera revealed equipment, but no men.

With their efforts to drill deep inside a Utah mountain yielding no signs of six trapped miners, exhausted rescuers pondered alternatives including drilling another hole big enough to accommodate a human-size capsule to get inside tunnel.

A drill boring a hole into a mountain reached a pocket where six US miners have been trapped for nearly four days, creating a tiny opening for a microphone and camera to determine if the men survived an earth-wrenching cave-in, a lawyer for the mine company said early today.

TEAMS of rescuers frantically cleared debris from underground tunnels yesterday, trying to reach six US coal miners trapped by a cave-in beneath more than 1,500 feet of solid rock.

Hundreds of rescuers smashed through walls of rock in a desperate race to reach six coal miners trapped 1,500 feet below ground by a cave-in so powerful authorities initially thought it was an earthquake.