Two miners trapped 10 days ago underground in the Dominican Republic were rescued Tuesday after a massive Canadian-backed operation to free them.
The two miners were finally reached on Tuesday morning through a newly dug rescue tunnel, 10 days after they were trapped underground following a rockslide, Dominican Mining Company Cormidum said in a statement.
Gregorys Mendes, a Dominican and Colombian Carlos Yepes have been trapped since July 31 in the Cerro de Maimon copper and zinc mine, 80 km north of Santo Domingo.
More than 110 miners and other experts participated in the rescue effort.
A Canadian military plane arrived Sunday with 26 tons of drilling equipment and other technologies to help.
In a video clip distributed by the Dominican presidency on Tuesday, Mendes and Yepes appeared lying on stretchers, smiling, as they greeted President Luis Abi Nader.
Underground conditions were “good,” Yepes said, with enough ventilation, water and food.
For his part, Abi Nader told the two men that he was “very happy” that they were back safely.
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