The evacuation of the trapped Chilean miners will begin in the early hours of Wednesday morning UK time after a successful test of the escape pod.
The Chilean Mining Minister, Laurence Golborne, said the specially-designed cage had been sent down the 625-metre long escape shaft – which has been partially lined with steel – and brought back to the surface without a hitch.
The rescue operation – which will start at midnight tomorrow local time, will take 48 hours to complete, with one man only able to travel in the narrow cage at a time.
Record-breakers
Four rescuers, including a paramedic, will be first be lowered down into the mine to help the 33 miners end their two-month ordeal. The men have broken all records for the length of time anyone has ever survived underground after a mining accident.
“The results of the tests have been very promising, very positive – the capsule handles well inside the duct and adapts well both inside the metal tubes and the rock,” said Mr Golborne.
Relatives of the miners, who have maintained a vigil at the surface are waiting expectantly for their loved ones to emerge.
The capsule is little wider than a man’s shoulders and the miners – who have been equipped with dark glasses for their return to the surface – have also been told to keep their eyes closed throughout the journey. The pod is expected to revolve 10-12 times during its journey to the surface.
Jean Romagnoli, who is in charge of medical supervision at the mine, told Channel 4 News that the men had been given special training to improve their physical condition.
He had assessed the physical condition of each man to determine the order in which they should be brought up to the surface. The last up would be the site captain, who would “turn out the light”.