Drilling begins to free trapped miners

SANTIAGO, Chile, Aug. 31 (UPI) -- Crews have begun the task of drilling through more than 2,300 feet of rock to rescue 33 men trapped since Aug. 5 in a Chilean mine, government officials say.

Efforts to free the trapped miners may take as long as four months, CNN Chile reported Tuesday.

A group of engineers is offering a "Plan B" they say could halve the time it takes to reach the miners.

Walter Herrera of the Chilean mining company GeoTech said his firm is bringing in a specialized device that could widen one of the existing bore holes, cutting the time it takes to drill a new one.

The gold-and-copper mine has three bore holes, each about four inches in diameter, that are being used to send food, water and other supplies to the trapped miners.

A four-person team from NASA is expected to arrive in Chile this week to aid in providing the men with physical and mental health support.