Rescuers Try to Blast Path to Trapped Miners

Rescuers used explosives to blast the final stretch of an escape tunnel in a desperate effort to free two Australian gold miners trapped underground for 12 days in a small steel cage.

Rescuers have bored through more than 45 feet of rock in an effort to reach the men. A union official said the remaining 5 feet was harder than concrete and using jackhammers was like “throwing Kleenex at rock.”