Miners show spirit with anthem chorus

SINGING the national anthem in a full-throated chorus, 33 miners trapped deep underground thanked their rescuers and settled in for a long wait until a tunnel wide enough to pull them out can be carved through a half-mile of solid rock.

Raising hopes further, a second bore hole punched into the chamber where the miners are entombed, and a third probe was nearing the spot yesterday.

After parcelling out tiny bits of food and drinking water carved from the mine floor with a backhoe for 18 days, the miners were getting glucose and rehydration tablets to restore their digestive systems. Capsules carrying oxygen also were sent down through a six-inch (15 centimetre) bore hole to help the men survive the hot, stuffy, humid conditions in the lower reaches of the gold and copper mine.