

The Associated Press

Relatives of 33 miners trapped in a collapsed mine shaft far below in Chile’s Atacama Desert have been shown new video of the men in which they send greetings to the surface, show the space they are confined in and sing the Chilean national anthem.

The miners, who have been trapped for three weeks almost half a mile underground, appear in good spirits and reasonably good health in the new video images of them in their subterranean home.

The video, shown to family members late Thursday night and on Chilean national television, was recorded by a minicamera sent by the government in the plastic tubes being used to deliver food and other items through a hole about four inches in diameter.

In the 45-minute video the miners are shown shirtless, most with mustaches and beards. One miner, with his helmet light illuminating the area, tours the space where the miners are holed up and describes the conditions.

Several news organizations have posted parts of the new video online. Near the start of a clip uploaded to YouTube by The Associated Press (embedded above), one miner can be seen telling the rescue workers above: “It takes courage to not leave us abandoned. We know everything you’ve been doing outside.”

An older miner added this message: “I’d like to say hello to my grandchildren and all my family. Stay together.”

This video report from Britain’s Channel 4 News includes a shot showing the part of the collapsed mine shaft that the miners have access to, in addition to the emergency refuge space, and some of the reaction to the tape from the surface:

Late on Thursday night, longer excerpts from the video, including individual messages from several miners, were broadcast by Chile’s TVN and CNN Chile.

The Chilean newspaper La Tercera also posted more of the video on its Web site.

The video shows that the miners have organized their subterranean home, which is about 600 square feet with adjoining tunnel space, into areas for eating, sleeping and even playing dominoes on a table. Against a wall a cabinet with medical supplies, including rubbing alcohol, can be seen. And the miners have some kitchen items and emergency items, including fire extinguishers.

“We have organized everything very well down here,” says the miner recording the video, whose face appears only in glancing shots.

“Here is where we meet every day, here is where we plan, where we pray,” he says. “Here is the meeting room where all of the decisions are made with the involvement of the 33 that are here.”

One by one the miners offer greetings to their families, some raising their thumbs to show they are okay. At one point they sing and chant.

One miner gives a speech where he praises his fellow miners. The others react with cheers and applause.

But several seem emaciated, and almost all appear to be sweating. Chile’s health minister, Jaime Mañalich, said Thursday that the miners were still dehydrated and had sent a paper note saying they estimated they had lost an average of 22 pounds each since the mine collapsed on Aug. 5.

The narrator says that the health conditions are “complicated” but assures that things have improved since they were found — all 33 alive — last Sunday.

Many of the men are shown resting on makeshift cots, some reading one-page notes.

“This is our casino,” the miner says at one point, showing a table where the miners, he says, had made some makeshift dominoes.

The miners, some squinting when the helmet light is shined into their faces, make pleas for officials to “get us out of here, please.” And the narrator also expresses a bit of bitterness about the owners of the mine.

“This place should have been prepared to shelter us, but when this happened the power was cut, everything was cut,” he said.

As The Times reported on Thursday, the miners know that they may have to continue living half a mile below the surface for weeks or months, until a rescue tunnel can be drilled to reach them.

This video report from Britain’s Channel 4 News on Thursday explained how the authorities plan to dig a small rescue tunnel to reach the men and what some of the concerns are, for the mens’ safety, and sanity, during the long wait ahead: