Holy #@#! 3,200 trapped miners in South Africa!

[Ellen Forradalom]

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aReXssQIho60&refer=home

:cry:

I'd throw away my gold jewelery...if I had any.

[johnnie]

1. Just read that

Doesn't sound good.

[petronius]

2. Damn - it's lucky no one was in the shaft when it happened

It's incredible that a mine that deep would have only one elevator for miners. However, it seems like a pretty survivable accident, as long as they actually can modify the waste elevator (and send water down and keep the air circulating)...

[Rabrrrrrr]

3. How would throwing away gold jewelery help them?

THankfully, it sounds like they shouldn't have much of a problem rescuing them, it'll just take a great many hours to get them all out.

However, I imagine that toward the end we might find out that they did not have contact with all of them, and a few might die - but hard to tell. It does sound like more of an issue of just losing the elevator out, and not any kind of dangerous trapping or collapse.

I hope they all get out okay!

[Ellen Forradalom]

6. It wouldn't.

It was expression of feeling. A shorthand for saying, "I would swear off something that causes suffering."

Of course, it's never that simple in the real world.

[ThomCat]

4. I hope they can get that other shaft fitted and get those people out.

:(

[FloridaJudy]

5. At least it sounds like there's hope for these guys

Unlike those poor fellows in Utah.

[Ellen Forradalom]

7. thank goodness

Let's hope all come out alive and well.