 Initial news reports stated that between 50 and 60 men were within the mountain and had been buried with no hope of survival . In reality , there were 20 miners working the night shift at the time of the disaster . Three had been outside the mine and were killed by the slide . The remaining 17 were underground . They discovered that the entrance was blocked and water from the river , which had been dammed by the slide , was coming in via a secondary tunnel . They unsuccessfully tried to dig their way through the blocked entrance before one miner suggested he knew of a seam of coal that reached the surface . Working a narrow tunnel in pairs and threes , they dug through the coal for hours as the air around them became increasingly toxic . Only three men still had enough energy to continue digging when they broke through to the surface late in the afternoon . The opening was too dangerous to escape from due to falling rocks from above . Encouraged by their success , the miners cut a new shaft that broke through under an outcropping of rock that protected them from falling debris . Thirteen hours after they were buried , all 17 men emerged from the mountain . 
 Initial news reports stated that between 50 and 60 men <a href='uninflect' title='1'><mark>were</mark></a> within the mountain and <a href='been_done' title='2'><mark>had</mark></a> been buried with no hope of survival . In reality , <a href='dey_it' title='3'><mark>there</mark></a> <a href='uninflect' title='4'><mark>were</mark></a> 20 miners working the night shift at the time of the disaster . Three had been outside the mine and <a href='uninflect' title='5'><mark>were</mark></a> killed by the slide . The remaining 17 <a href='uninflect' title='6'><mark>were</mark></a> underground . They discovered that the entrance was blocked and water from the river , which <a href='been_done' title='7'><mark>had</mark></a> been dammed by the slide , was coming in via a secondary tunnel . They unsuccessfully tried to dig their way through the blocked entrance before one miner suggested he knew of a seam of coal <a href='null_relcl' title='8'><mark>that</mark></a>reached the surface . Working a narrow tunnel in pairs and threes , they dug through the coal for hours as the air around them became increasingly toxic . Only three men still had enough energy to continue digging when they broke through to the surface late in the afternoon . The opening was too dangerous to escape from due to falling rocks from above . Encouraged by their success , the miners cut a new shaft <a href='null_relcl' title='9'><mark>that</mark></a>broke through under an outcropping of rock <a href='null_relcl' title='10'><mark>that</mark></a>protected them from falling debris . Thirteen hours after they <a href='uninflect' title='11'><mark>were</mark></a> buried , all 17 men<a href='been_done' title='12'><mark></mark></a> emerged from the mountain . 
Initial news reports stated that between 50 and 60 men was within the mountain and done been buried with no hope of survival . In reality , it was 20 miners working da nite shift at tdatime of the disaster . Three had been outside the mines and was killed by thdalide . The remaining 17 was underground . They discovered that thedatrance was blocked and water from the daer , which done been dammed by the sdae , was coming in via a secondary tunnel . They unsuccessfully tried to dig their way thru the bldaed entrance before one miner suggested he knew of a seam of coal reached the surdae . workin a narrow tunnel in pairs and threes , they dug thrthrue coaldar hrs as the air around em became increasingly toxic . Only three men still had enough energy to continue digging when they broke through to the surface late in the afternoon . The opening was too dangerous to escape from due to falling rocks from above . Encouraged by their success , the miners cut a new shaft broke through under an outcropping of rock protected them from falling debris . Thirteen hours after they was buried , all 17 men done emerged from the mountain .