retailers plan to hire a lot more seasonal workers. there s plenty to celebrate in chile right now. earlier a rescue tunnel reached 33 trapped miners. the dangerous part of this rescue mission is far from over. cnn s carl penhaul is there right now. carl, what needs to be done before they can actually be lifted to the surface? reporter: yeah, just to bring you up to date, i don t know if you just heard, we saw two chilean police vehicles and a chilean ambulance just screaming around this curve in the dirt road here and heading off down the hill towards the direction of the main city, which is about 45 minutes drive away.
here s cnn s carl penhaul. reporter: mid morning, and a break through in the rescue effort. communication started happening with the miners. they were a big part of that process, letting us know how far we were from them. they were able to pull the plug out and what we call sound or measure, where our bit is, so we could mark the point on the drill pipe and break through. reporter: this company owns the drill bit that s punched a 12-inch shaft down to where the 33 miners are trapped. the rig, known as plan b, is owned by a chilean company. it is one of three trying to save the miners. it began drilling just two weeks ago. we had a late start and we ve come out of the gate rather fast. reporter: but the hardest job may still lie ahead.
monday. as the drills grind away, families camp out at the mine are preparing a cookout for chile s independence day celebrations this weekend. for the trapped miners, chef prepare a treat, pastries stuffed with meat, onions and olives. they ll get a barbecued steak underground, too. the minister says he s bet rescuers another barbecue, depending on which team can pull them back to the surface quicker. i will be very happy to pay that debt as soon as possible. reporter: carl penhaul, cnn, northern chile. a look at our top stories. a 41-year-old grandmother could become the first woman executed in virginia in nearly a century.
stuffed with meat, onions and olives. they ll get a barbecue steak underground, too. the minister says he bet rescue workers another barbecue, depending which team can pull the miners back to earth quicker. no matter which arrives early, i will be very happy if we can pay that as soon as possible. reporter: carl penhaul, cnn, northern chile. hurricane igor could make a direct hit on bermuda. jacqui jeras is tracking the storm. the forecast for the tropics and your area when we come right back.
marijuana inside the tunnel. they have asked mexican authorities to find the entrance on their side of the border. and many illegal immigrants are so desperate for their own slice of the american dream that they are willing to risk just about everything, including their lives, to get here. for some, that means heading north from mexico and beyond on what s called the train of death. our carl penhaul climbed aboard to give you an inside look at the dangerous journey. reporter: some call it the beast. to others, it s the train of death. but to all these illegal migrants, it s a free ride bound for their american dream. of washing dishes, picking lettuce or carrying bricks. we work under the sun. if you re born over there, your life is going to be different. you re going to work and go to a