The horrific story of 33 miners in Chile being trapped underground has been reported.
The 33 Chilean miners trapped deep underground have been told they may not be rescued for several months, the country's health minister has said.
Jaime Manalich said the miners, trapped 700m below ground since 5 August, had reacted calmly, AFP news agency said. Officials had delayed breaking the news out of concern for their mental well-being. A special exercise and recreation programme is being set up to keep the men fit during their long wait.
They will also need to be in shape to be pulled up the 66cm (26 inches) wide shaft that is being bored to rescue them. That may take up to four months to complete.
There is some media interest in the fact that 33 human beings are trapped underground, and will be for several months to come. However, the attention is not nearly the same as that given to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster, which even got the folks in the USA so fired up that their President got involved, and was instrumental in getting the CEO fired, and establishing a fund from bp to clean up the environment they messed! I have no problem with the USA getting involved to help their own people who had lost their livelihood, but where is the same passion now?
I am asking myself, what do our leaders care more about, human life, or oil on some ducks and fish? I know I am simplifying things here, but that's what it boils down to. Looking back on the bp oil spill, there was not a lot of time spent reporting the loss of human life, just the environmental impact. Have we lost something here? Should we not be addressing the need to get these men out, and supporting their waiting families? By all reports, it will take as long to release these miners from their earthy dungeon, as it did to cap the gushing oil well. Cast your mind back to the anger and emotion expressed in the USA because the oil was continuing to damage wildlife. The images were never off our TV screens. Is it too much to ask that some of that passion is harnessed to help get these men out faster? There are obvious similarities between the two disasters, and the ultimate solution is to bore a relief well which will eventually get them out, while using small bore wells to provide essential support, medicine and food. Who knows what state these miners will be in by the time they are freed at Christmas? Does it matter?
Which is more important? Oil or human life? You decide!
No comments:
Post a Comment