Camera finds 'survivable space' in mine

A video camera lowered into the mine where six miners have been missing for more than five days shows “survivable space”, a US official said today.

But attempts to signal the miners were met by silence.

The void found by a camera lowered into a new hole showed an intact ceiling over 2.5ft (60cm) of rubble on the floor, said Richard Stickler, head of the Mine Safety and Health Administration.

“We do have a 5.5ft (1.5m) void. We have not lost the space where the miners could be located,” he said.

After the nearly 9in (23cm)-wide hole was drilled into the void, rescuers banged on the drill steel to signal the miners. There was no response, Stickler said.

The camera was then put down and encountered trouble because 10 gallons (38 litres) of water a minute was flowing down the hole, he said. The camera was withdrawn so a steel casing could be inserted in the well to protect the camera from the water.

A smaller hole 2.5in (5cm) wide that was drilled into the mine earlier was being used to pump oxygen into the void. Sampling of air in that hole had found oxygen levels too low for survival.

The two holes are 130ft (39.6m) apart. The void is 1,868ft (569.37m) below the drill rigs.

The men were more than three miles (4.8km) inside the remote mine at the time of the thunderous collapse on Monday. Efforts to reach them through the horizontal main tunnels have been slowed by fallen rock and by ground movements that require extensive installation of roof and wall supports to keep rescuers safe.

Bob Murray, head of Murray Energy Corp, co-owner of the mine, said workers had progressed 650ft (198.1m) through rubble out of a total distance of 2,000ft (609.6m).

“The rescue effort itself, I am very disappointed at our pace,” Murray said, asserting, however, that no mistakes had been made.

The findings from the camera were announced after officials met to inform the miners’ families and show them videotape from the camera.

“It’s remarkable and wonderful how they are holding up,” said Murray.

The brother of missing miner Don Erickson expressed frustration at the news.

“We don’t know anything,” Terry Erickson said. “It’s just the same stuff that’s on TV. I’m getting tired of hearing it.”

Authorities have said it could take about a week to reach the miners through the tunnels.

Members of the miners’ families said they received little news at a midmorning briefing.

Tomas Hernandez, uncle of miner Luis Hernandez, 23, said his family was not optimistic.

“I think with so much time passing we are losing hope,” he said.

The mining crew also included Carlos Payan, in his 20s; Kerry Allred, 57; Brandon Phillips, 24; Manuel Sanchez, 41; and Don Erickson, 50.