Rescuers Race to Free Trapped Honduran Miners

Rescue workers dug into an illegal gold mine in Honduras Thursday in an effort to save 11 miners who were trapped by a landslide. Officials said they had made contact with and were close to reaching three of the men, Reuters reports.

The entrance to the mine in San Juan Arriba collapsed on Wednesday. Officials had ordered the mine closed for safety reasons several months ago.

Without food or water and with little air, the miners are not likely to survive beyond three days. Eight of the miners are still missing, and authorities could not say whether they were alive. Further complicating rescue efforts is the threat of rain.

“That area is all limestone, which is sensitive to rain and could cause landslides, threatening the safety of the people involved in the rescue,” Oscar Triminio, a spokesman for the fire services, told Reuters.

[Reuters]