Trapped Miners Tap To Indicate They’re Alive

Gold miners trapped in a collapsed mine shaft high in the Andes mountains made tapping noises Thursday to let rescuers know they were still alive.

The miners have been pinned down since midday Tuesday, when a magnitude-6.4 earthquake rattled southern Peru.

“We have located trapped people. We signaled them by tapping rock and they responded to show they are alive,” said Gen. Victor Potesta, commander of Peru’s firefighters.

It was unclear know how many people were trapped in the Huanilo mine, located at more than 13,000 feet near the city of Puquio, about 270 miles southeast of Lima.

Rescue teams Wednesday found two bodies and three survivors in another gold mine, and 10 miners were pulled from various small mines in the mountains east of Nazca.

At least 11 people were killed and 560 injured in the quake, centered in the Pacific Ocean about 80 miles west of the tourist town of Nazca.