Some might find it strange that a coalmine echoes to the sound of laughter. If I miss anything, it is the humour.

Confirmed by Max Boyce (Duw, it's hard): "And I'll not forget the times we had, laughing midst the fear."

The drill cuttings have to be removed to surface
As I understand it, a lot of the cuttings will be falling down into the mine, and the miners are going to be having to work long shifts to clear it away into the tunnels.

The initial pilot hole will need removal to the surface, but the reaming out will let the cuttings fall, and that's about 3/4 of the total.

I think one of the worst parts of the rescue will be being hauled up inside the capsule. It's a very long way in a very small hole, and it wouldn't take much in the way of a minor fall to block progress.

I speak from (very limited) experience. I was lowered down a series of 600mm clay bores in a similar capsule to inspect the bottom. Only 12m deep, not 700m. The capsule had a mesh panel in the top, so I was able to see the sky - this won't be possible in the deep bore. I found the experience very claustrophobic - not something I suffer from normally.

Phil