A magnitude-6.8 earthquake struck central Chile today
centered in almost exactly the same spot where last year's
magnitude-8.8 quake spawned a tsunami and devastated coastal
communities.
The last of the Chilean miners, the foreman who held them
together when they were feared lost, have been raised from
the depths of the earth - a joyous ending to a 69-day ordeal
that riveted the world. No one has ever been trapped so long
and survived.
The crew of Chilean miners was pinned nearly a half-mile
underground by 700,000 tonnes of rock after what felt like an
earthquake in the shaft above them, and had no real hope
they'd ever be found. Luckily, though, the men had Luis
Urzua.
The 33 trapped Chilean miners who have astonished the world
with their discipline a half mile underground will have to
aid their own escape - clearing thousands of tonnes of rock
that will fall as the rescue hole is drilled, the engineer in
charge of drilling said.
Carola Narvaez breathed in the Atacama Desert's cold dawn air
and slowly began to exhale the story of how her family
survived a devastating earthquake and worked to rebuild their
lives - only for her husband to end up trapped deep inside a
Chilean mine.
While 33 men trapped in a mine cling to hope that they'll get
out alive, the company that put them there says it can't
afford to pay their salaries and may go bankrupt.
A series of strong aftershocks from last month's devastating
quake rocked Chile as a new president was sworn into office
and he immediately urged coastal residents to move to higher
ground in case of a tsunami.
