‘Mission accomplished’ as all Chilean miners rescued

All 33 of the Chilean miners have been safely rescued.

The last, 54-year-old Luis Urzua, reached the surface to rapturous applause. With the Chilean flag draped around his neck he was greeted warmly by President Sebastian Pinera, who told him he had been an example of “courage” to the Chilean people.

“All of Chile carries you in its heart,” President Pinera said. The team of rescuers then gathered around Urzua to sing the Chilean national anthem.

The foreman, Urzua, is credited for holding the miners together, measuring the food out and crucially keeping them going during the 17 days they were thought to be dead.

He said before the ordeal, he didn’t know his men that well, but he got to know them very well “down there”.

“We were able to cope with the situation,” he said. “Now we can all have a rest, mission accomplished”.

All 33 miners were rescued in just over a 21 hour period once the first man reached the surface about the capsule the “Phoenix”.

Find out more about who the ‘Chile 33’ are here.

Father-of-two Florencio Avalos was the first miner to emerge at around 4am British Standard Time.

He was pulled to safety in a capsule barely wider than a man’s shoulders and greeted by cheers from rescuers, relatives and friends.

His rescue marked the beginning of the end of the ordeal for the miners, who have been trapped underground for 69 days.

The 31-year old was greeted by Chile’s President Sebastian Pinera as he reached the surface of the mine in the Atacama desert, and surrounded by a crowd chanting: “Chile! Viva Chile!”

His uncle Alberto Avalos said: “This is a miracle from God.”

Mr Avalos has since been followed up the tiny escape shaft by Mario Sepulveda, Juan Illanes, the only non-Chilean miner Bolivian Carlos Mamani, Jimmy Sanchez, Osman Isidro Oraya, Jose Vidal, Claudio Yanez, Mario Gomez, the eldest miner aged 63, Alex Richard Vega Salazar, Jorge Galleguillos Orellana, Edison Pena Villarroel, Carlos Barrios Contreras, Victor Zamora Bugueno, Victor Segovia Rojas, Daniel Herrera Campos and Omar Reygadas Rojas.

The second miner to be rescued, Mario Sepulveda, whooped with joy as he reached the surface. “I’m so happy!” He said, punching his fist in the air. After stepping out of the capsule, he reached into a yellow bag and pulled out souvenir rocks from below – one of which he slapped into the hand of Chilean President Pinera.

He has since spoken of the darker moments experienced while trapped in the mine, telling one interviewer: “I have been with God and I’ve been with the devil.”

Emotional scenes - and dancing on the streets 
Scenes of jubilation at the Chilean mine as the trapped men are reunited with their loved ones after 10 weeks underground - as people dance in celebration in nearby Copiapo. 

Foreign Affairs Correspondent Jonathan Miller is at the surface of the mine in Chile and watched the rescue.

“What an incredible night it’s been,” he said. “The first of the miners came up to rapturous applause, particularly among his family.

“Everything has gone very well indeed. It’s taking about an hour in turnaround time, but it is incredible to watch these pictures as they emerge, being greeted by the President.”

The trapped miners earlier greeted their rescuers with hugs in their tiny underground prison. Rescuers go down to each miner, before winching them back up.

The miners have been trapped around 625 metres underground since the mine collapsed on 5 August.

For the first 17 days of their ordeal, the miners were believed to be dead. When the miners were found alive, and then contacted and filmed, their story became a worldwide sensation.

Channel 4 News cameraman Dai Baker's photographs of life at "Camp Hope"

Relatives have been camped out at the surface of the mine at “Camp Hope” waiting for the rescue of their loved ones, which has happened more quickly than originally expected – although the miners have still broken records for the length of time survived underground after a mining accident.

Some earlier estimates suggested the miners may be trapped until Christmas before the so-called “plan B” rescue attempt began.

The rescue operation continues – and could take up to 48 hours for all the miners to reach the surface. Follow our live blog and @millerC4 and @daibaker on Twitter for updates from the scene, and watch the live stream of events below.