Seventeen days after being trapped by a mining accident in Chile, 33 miners were able to communicate with rescuers through a hole that had been drilled to see if they were still alive, reports the .
Because the miners are trapped some 2,300 feet below the Earth's surface, it may take 120 days to reach them by drilling a 26 inch hole, chief engineer in charge of the rescue, AndresSougarret told the .
The miners are in an emergency shelter the size of a small flat but appear hopeful in the photos and notes they sent to the surface. Food, water, and oxygen will be lowered to them through the existing hole to help them survive.
There was celebration above the mine and in Santiago after the news was announced.
–Will Taylor