Officials tell Chilean miners rescue could take months

Trapped workers now know they face a lengthy underground ordeal

It’s news the rest of the world has known for days, but yesterday the 33 miners trapped underground in northern Chile were told that they will not be getting out any time soon. When rescue workers first made contact with the men on Sunday, they had already been living in a shelter beneath the collapsed mine for 17 days. Officials knew then that it could take up to four months to extricate them, but did not immediately break the news to the miners themselves for fear of the psychological effect it might have. Chile's Health Minister Jaime Manalich said that the men took the news calmly, but that depression and boredom will likely set in soon.