国际英语新闻：Drill machine only 30 meters away from trapped miners in Chile

SANTIAGO, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- By midday Friday the trapped Chilean miners are only 30 meters away from the T-130 drill machine, Chilean Presidency confirmed with Xinhua.

The rescue shaft of "Plan B" has drilled 630 meters in depth and has almost reached the workshop where the 33 miners were trapped since Aug. 5.

The Chilean presidency confirmed with Xinhua reporter that the drill T-130, or "Plan B" still needs one day or two to actually reach the miners.

The 32 Chilean and one Bolivian miners have been trapped almost 700 meters underground after a collapse in the San Jose mine, in the northern desert of Atacama.

Chilean mining minister told Xinhua on Thursday night that the miners are expected to be rescued by early November if no more obstacles are in the way.

"Everything is going a little bit better than anticipated," Laurence Golborne said while attending the celebration of Bicentenary of Chile outside the Presidential Palace "La Moneda".

He said that the rescuers are "optimistic that we will comply with our target date at the beginning of November and, if everything stays on path and we have no big problems, then it could be earlier."

According to Golborne drilling equipment used by rescuers can manage some 18 meters per hour, but the 30 cm shaft it creates must still be widened to some 70 cm in diameter to actually begin the rescue of the miners.

The Chilean Presidency said that once reaching the miners, the drilling machine will have to be lifted up above ground and start the amplification of the 700-meter-deep hole.