Early rescue hope for Chilean miners

RESCUERS drilling into a cavern where 33 Chilean miners are trapped completed a borehole ahead of schedule, raising hopes that the men could be out earlier than expected.

The 12in-wide drill guided by a pilot hole half its diameter reached 2,070ft beneath the surface, puncturing the top of a passage near the chamber in the San Jos copper and gold mine where the men have taken refuge.

The next step is to place a wider drill on the rig and start a hole 28in across - wide enough for the miners to get out.

Video shot by the miners and released by the government later last night showed scenes of bedlam below when the drill broke through, sending a shower of water and rock down into the chamber.

"Viva Chile!" the miners cried, hugging each other and posing for the camera with broad smiles. "We are extremely excited by what has been done today," said miner Mario Sepulveda.

The government previously said the most optimistic scenario was that it would take until early November to rescue the men.

But mining minister Laurence Golborne said that the process was now "a little bit ahead". The earlier estimate had built in the possibility of more setbacks than the effort had seen so far, he said. Golborne did not provide a new estimate.

The miners have endured sweltering conditions for weeks, and the discipline and resilience they have shown throughout has been a point of pride among Chileans - especially as the nation celebrates the bicentennial of independence today.

They celebrated with beef and empanadas - pies - and decorated their chamber with a plastic Chilean flag.

Two rigs have been drilling separate holes to ensure rescuers would not have to start from scratch if a problem arose.

A larger rig will begin drilling tomorrow.