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The first of the 33 miners trapped deep underground for more than two months in northern Chile has been rescued.
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Chile's Trapped Mine

Florencio Avalos, 31, was winched up a 624m (2,047ft) shaft in a custom-built capsule, wearing an oxygen mask and a belt monitoring his vital signs.

The operation began at 2318 (0218 GMT) with a technical expert being lowered down, and is expected to take 48 hours.

Earlier, President Sebastian Pinera said he hoped what began as a possible tragedy, would end as a blessing.

"I know tonight there will be tears of happiness in all Chilean homes," he told reporters.           EVEN IN MY NIGERIAN  HOME I HAD TEARS OF HAPINESS TOO.      "We made a promise to never surrender, and we kept it."

"I am sure the miners will not be the same people they were before the accident, and the Chilean people will not be the same people."


As night fell at the San Jose mine, near the northern city of Copiapo, Mining Minister Laurence Golborne said the rescue operation had been delayed by two hours, and would get under way after 2200 (0100 GMT).

He told reporters an empty "Phoenix" capsule would first be sent down and up the 624m (2,047ft) shaft for further tests, before a technical expert was lowered very slowly to allow him to examine the shaft in detail.

After returning to the surface, he would report on his findings and then repeat the process at a faster speed, he said.

Only after a navy special forces paramedic had been lowered and has carried out an assessment of each of the miners, would the first be winched up, he added.

Each ride up the shaft takes about 20 minutes, and rescuers believe they should be able to rescue one miner each hour.

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