kat - The men had lost an estimated 10 kilograms each during the two-and-a-half weeks before they were found alive.
Rescuers finish escape shaft for miners
(extract) ... However they are still several days away from freedom as the nearly 625-metre metre rescue shaft needs to be checked.

Mining minister Laurence Golborne says rescuers expect to start bringing miners to the surface on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Mr Golborne says the the shaft drilled to the miners will only need to be partially reinforced with 16 steel tubes.

"We only need to case the first 96 metres with steel. It should take about a day and a half," he said.

"Once they're in place it should take us 48-hours to put the phoenix rescue capsule and the winch at the top of the mine in place.

"If everything goes according to plan we should be able to start rescuing the first miners at the start of the next week."

It will then take three to 10 days to winch them to the surface one at a time in special capsules just wider than a man's shoulders.