James Read from BBC says the number 33 has taken on a special significance for the miners, who are known to be superstitious:1. there are 33 miners,
2. the rescue shaft has a diameter of 66 centimeters, which is 33 times two,
3. first note the miners sent up to show they were still alive -- "estamos bien en el refugio los 33" (all 33 of us are in the shelter) -- which was 33 characters in length,
4. it took 33 days for the drill to complete the rescue shaft and
5. Roman Catholic Chileans believe Jesus Christ was 33 when he died.
During the months of digging it will take to rescue the trapped miners in Chile, director Rodrigo Ortuzar will be shaping his film about the underground tale of despair and rebirth he has already aptly titled "The 33." So "the movie is going to last one hour and 33 minutes," Ortuzar promised.
Even President Sebastian Pinera mentioned the "magic number" in his triumphant speech after the first miner emerged from the shaft. The date of the rescue 13/10/10, adds up to - you guessed it - 33.
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