This once desolate outpost in the Chilean desert assumed a festive air Tuesday, as thousands excitedly waited to see the first of 33 trapped miners emerge from a 10-week underground ordeal.
The anticipation was palpable just hours before the operation to hoist up the miners was set to get underway.
The outdoor tent village dubbed Camp Hope that has sprung up outside the mine to house the men's families has become increasingly frenetic in the past few days, with thousands flocking to the site to witness the historic rescue.
The mood was more frenzied than ever in anticipation of Tuesday's happy ending to what many initially feared was Chile's worst-ever mining disaster.
The miners' relatives were preparing for joyful reunions ahead. But there was also a touch of anxiety.
"I'm a little nervous," said Cristina Nunez, the longtime partner of miner Claudio Yanez.
"I didn't sleep much. I went to bed at 4:30 a.m. and woke up at 6 a.m.," said Alberto Segovia, who has been maintaining an anxious vigil for his brother Dario.
There were about 2,000 people crowding Camp Hope Tuesday, a number likely to almost double by the end of the day, officials at the site said.
(source:vancouversun.com)
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