The two guys, ages 62 and 56, are thought to have maintained warmth by creating a tent out of plastic and starting a fire. According to reports, their status is steady. It happens at a time when South Korea is in a state of mourning following the death of more than 150 people in a crush in the nation's capital Seoul last week. On October 26 in Bonghwa, in the country's east, a portion of the zinc mine the two miners were working in collapsed, trapping them almost 200 metres (650 feet) beneath.
More than nine days after their plight began, they were ultimately saved on the night of November 4. Both were able to leave the mine on their own and were brought to the neighbourhood hospital. According to their doctor, they ought to fully recover. Their rescue was described by President Yoon Suk-yeol as "really amazing". He said on Facebook, "Thank you and thank you again for coming back safely from the crossroads of life and death." Authorities said that the miners ate instant coffee mix powder and drank water that dripped from the roof to stay alive. According to South Korea's Yonhap news agency, the rescue attempt started on Thursday when emergency personnel bore a hole and put a tiny camera to try to find the miners.
In a large cavern where multiple mine shafts connect, they were finally found sitting shoulder to shoulder to stay warm. One of the survivors' nieces recalled how, after spending nearly 10 days in the dark, her uncle didn't recognise her because he was wearing an eye mask. She called his rescue "surreal," the AFP news agency reported.
