Miners news

             The 33 miners rescued earlier this month after spending more than two months trapped underground have been honored at a special ceremony at the presidential palace in Santiago, the Chilean capital.

Chile’s President, Sebastian Pinera, hosted the ceremony and provided the 32 Chilean miners in the group with a Chilean flag. The sole Bolivian miner was awarded a Bolivian flag.

The rescued miners were also provided replicas of the capsule that brought them to the surface on October 13.

Mr. Pinera singled out for special praise Luis Urzua, who was the shift foreman when the tunnel of the San Jose mine collapsed on August 5. Urzua led the miners through the first 17 days after the collapse when they fought for survival with little food supplies and before their location was discovered by a rescue drill.

After the ceremony, the Chilean president led a a squad of government officials and rescue workers in a football match against the rescued miners. The miners lost.

                                         By Fábio