Chilean Miners Are Safe and Well-Fed, But Still Jonesing for Wine and a Smoke

FairWarning.org — September 3, 2010 — The 33 Chilean miners trapped thousands of feet below ground in a collapsed mine have had their first hot meal since the August 5 accident, but they’ll have to wait a little longer to get their alcohol and tobacco fixes.

Although the health of the trapped crew seems surprisingly good, doctors say that after several weeks of poor diet, their bodies might not be ready for alcohol or cigarettes.

“From the alcohol standpoint, we need to first get their nutrition up before we make any considerations there,” said James Duncan, a doctor with NASA, which has sent officials to Chile to assist the rescue.

The upper level of the copper and gold mine, which is owned by Compañía Minera San Esteban Primera and is located in the northern town of Copiapo, collapsed on August 5, with the 33 workers roughly a half-mile underground. They were all feared to have perished, but the accident merely blocked their path back to the surface, and the group has been communicating with authorities since August 22.

The mine was reopened by regulators in May 2008 after a partial shutdown lasting nearly a year, a decision that is being scrutinized in light of the recent accident.

The rescue plan is to pull the miners up to the earth’s surface through a narrow escape hatch that authorities are working on now, a task that might not be completed until December.

Doctors estimate that the miners have lost some 20 pounds while surviving on the limited provisions that they brought with them. To counteract the potential problems stemming from their diet, authorities lowered hardier fare — meatballs, rice, and cheese sandwiches — down to the hungry crew earlier this week, the NY Daily News reported.

With their stomachs full, photos of the trapped Chileans show them in good spirits, yet not all of their requests have been made; authorities denied them much hoped-for cigarettes and wine, arguing that with their nutrition in a poor state, the miners’ bodies might not be able to handle drinking and smoking.