Editoria Arab Newsl: Miners' rescue

Miners’ rescue

 

It is a retelling of the old story of triumph over extreme adversity

 

In the past 24 hours, all attention has been on Chile and the rescue of the 33 miners who have been trapped 700 meters underground for more than two months. The television coverage has been wall-to-wall. More or less on the same scale as the first landing on the Moon. Rightly so. The story caught the world’s imagination. There can be few people around the world who yesterday did not see something of the rescue on their TV screens and were not moved by it.

Too often, the news is full of gloom and catastrophe — war, terrorism, crime, violence, economic woe, floods or other natural disasters and the like. When not that, it is an endless procession of politicians trying to grab the limelight. Here was something different — an uplifting story of human endurance against all the odds and emerging victorious. In its own way, it is a retelling of the old story of triumph over extreme adversity. In a different guise, it is the story of the prisoner being freed, of the occupied being liberated, the shipwrecked being saved. That is why, no matter where in the world we were yesterday, we could all share in it and feel the same emotions as those at the San Jose mine head when the miners slowly came up, one by one: Excitement, fear, elation, concern, joy.

Chile has every reason to be proud of how the rescue has been handled, as have the other countries that helped. The professionalism, determination and patience of all those involved — in particular the miners themselves — is an example and inspiration to the rest of the world. In particular, it is an act of hope for an industry where danger and death are ever present. Mining disasters are all too common — especially in China. Last year alone, 2,631 miners died in Chinese mining accidents, and that is just the official figure. It is thought to be higher because officials and mining companies have a vested interest in covering up the facts. The only comforting aspect of this grim statistic is that at least it is down from the high of 6,995 in 2002.

But for once, in April this year, there was good news on the Chinese mining front. One hundred and fifteen miners were rescued from certain death after their mine in Shanxi province was suddenly flooded. Yet, despite the involvement of thousands of rescuers, there was nothing like the coverage that has accompanied yesterday’s Chilean rescue of far fewer miners.

The cynic will say that is because the Chilean accident was not only far more accessible to the international media but that the rescue was exploited by the Chilean government to boost its standing. The former may be true but the latter is unfair. The Chilean government was well aware that if the rescue ended in disaster, it would be held responsible. High-profile involvement can work both ways.

Nor can anyone doubt its determination to see the miners freed. What sets this rescue apart from others and makes it unique is its epic dimension. The 115 Chinese miners rescued in April were underground for eight days. This was more than two months. Never have miners been trapped for so long. Triumph has crowned an exceptional tale of human endurance and courage. No wonder it has dominated the news.