Chile’s 33 trapped miners all rescued in ‘miracle’

COPIAPO, Chile, (Reuters) – All of Chile’s 33  trapped miners were rescued from deep underground in a special  capsule yesterday as an extraordinary two-month survival  story many call a miracle triggered wild celebrations.
Luis Urzua, 54, who was the shift leader at the time of the  collapse, was the last of the miners to travel through 2,050  feet (625 metres) of rock to the surface in a capsule barely  wider than a man’s shoulders.
Celebrations erupted across the country as he emerged to a  hero’s welcome above the San Jose gold and copper mine in  Chile’s northern Atacama desert, wearing his hard-hat and dark  shades to protect his eyes after spending 69 days in a dimly  lit tunnel.
“Viva Chile!” the crowd chanted, as Urzua emerged from the  capsule, the light on his miners’ hat still on.
Rescuers held up a sign in Spanish reading: “Mission  Accomplished.”
Urzua beamed as an elated crowd chanted, sobbed and waved  red, white and blue Chilean flags. The miners set a world  record for survival trapped underground.
“I hand the shift over to you and hope this never happens  again,” he said with a Chilean flag draped around his  shoulders, hugging an emotional President Sebastian Pinera. “I  am proud to be Chilean.”
Rescue workers opened the capsule door and hugged Urzua,  who had insisted throughout that he would not leave the tunnel  until all the other miners were safely evacuated.
They are all now safe thanks to a meticulously planned  rescue operation that went quicker and more smoothly than  anyone dared to believe.
The rescue workers who traveled down the shaft to help  evacuate them will now themselves be hoisted to the surface in  the metal capsule, named Phoenix after the mythical bird that  rose from the ashes.
Church bells rang out in Chile when the first miner was  extricated and Chileans were glued to their televisions, proud  of their nation’s ability to save the men in a world-class  rescue operation.
“This was the toughest match of my life,” said Franklin  Lobos, a former professional soccer player who turned to mining  and driving a taxi to make ends meet, as he emerged from the  mine.
The miners were whisked away for medical checkups and found  to be in good health, except for one who has pneumonia and is  being treated with antibiotics.
“This is a miracle from God,” said Alberto Avalos, the  uncle of Florencio Avalos, a father of two who was the first to  emerge shortly after midnight.
Euphoric rescuers, relatives and friends broke into cheers  — and tears — as the miners emerged to breathe fresh air for  the first time since the mine caved in on Aug 5.
They were all initially believed to be dead but rescue  teams found the men 17 days after the collapse with a bore hole  the width of a grapefruit. The tiny hole then became an  umbilical cord used to pass hydration gels, water and food to  keep them alive during one of the world’s most ambitious rescue  operations.
Their story of survival captured global attention. Some  1,500 journalists were at the mine to report on the rescue  operation, which was broadcast live around the world, including  dramatic live images of the miners hugging rescuers who  traveled down the shaft to their refuge deep in the mine.
The flawless rescue was a big success for Pinera, who  waited at the mouth of the shaft through the night and day to  greet and hug the men as they emerged from the red, white and  blue capsule — the Chilean colors.
Pinera, a billionaire entrepreneur who took office in  March, ordered an overhaul of Chile’s mine safety regulations  after the accident. His popularity ratings have surged and his  government has won praise for its handling of the crisis.
Among millions of people who watched television coverage of  the rescue of the first miner was U.S. President Barack Obama,  who hailed the operation as an inspiration to the world.
“This rescue is a tribute not only to the determination of  the rescue workers and the Chilean government but also the  unity and resolve of the Chilean people who have inspired the  world,” Obama said in Washington.
Thirty-two of the miners are Chilean but one is from  neighboring Bolivia and the rescue helped improve ties between  the two countries, locked in a bitter dispute for more than a  century over Bolivia’s demands for access to the Pacific.
Bolivia’s president, Evo Morales, was at the mine to  welcome Bolivian miner Carlos Mamani as he was lifted to safety  and he thanked Pinera and his government for rescuing him.
Chile will continue to shut old, decrepit mines after the  miners’ saga, but the clampdown is unlikely to hit output in  the world’s top copper producer, industry insiders say.
The mining industry has played a central and often tragic  role in Latin American history, starting with the hunger for  gold and silver that drove the Spanish conquest and led to the  enslavement of indigenous peoples.
For centuries, conditions in Latin American mines were  miserable but they have improved dramatically in recent decades  and the industry has over the past 10 years helped fuel a boom  in some of the region’s economies, including Chile.