Global General

13th trapped Chilean miner brought to surface

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-10-13 21:45

Chilean President Sebastian Pinera (R) and Bolivian President Evo Morales (2nd R) watch as miner Jorge Galleguillos reaches the surface as the eleventh rescued miner in Copiapo October 13, 2010. [Photo/Agencies]

SAN JOSE MINE, Chile - Thirteen of the 33 miners trapped underground for over two months in northern Chile have so far been brought to the surface in an ongoing rescue operation on Wednesday.

By midmorning, the 13 miners had been pulled out of the San Jose mine at a methodical pace in roughly 10 hours.

Related readings:  Chile miners to see the end of a long drama  Chile to start freeing miners on Tuesday night  Chile choreographs dramatic finish to rescue saga  A way out, at last, for Chile's 33 trapped miners

Florencio Avalos, 31, was the first to reach the surface after spending 69 days some 700 meters underground. His family and Chilean President Sebastian Pinera were at the scene to receive him.

Amid a huge wave of applause, cheers, sirens, and under camera flash lights, Avalos walked out of the Phoenix capsule, a 54 cm wide and 4 meter high steel tube custom-made by the Chilean Navy that carried him to the surface through a 662-meter shaft.

About an hour later, Mario Sepulveda was lifted out. Juan Illanes was rescued in another hour, followed by Carlos Mamani, the only Bolivian.

Already rescued were 19-year-old Jimmy Sanchez, the youngest miner, and 63-year-old Mario Gomez, the oldest.

The operation will continue to bring the remaining miners up one at a time and the whole process is expected to last for more than 30 hours.

The miners, who have been trapped since August 5, were confirmed alive on August 22 and it had been estimated that the rescue would take four months.

On Saturday, a 624-meter deep rescue tunnel was completed, allowing the final phase of the rescue operation to start Wednesday.