* 17 of 33 miners rescued so far
* First man reached surface shortly after 4am (video on left)
* Operation could be complete 'by the end of the day'
18.25 Mining Minister Laurence Golborne said the rescue could be complete 'by the end of the day'.
18.20 The rescue capsule is on its way to collect the 18th miner.
17.54 This was the third time Omar Reygada Rojas has been trapped by an accident in three decades as a miner.
17.44 Omar Reygada Rojas has reached the surface.
17.25 A 17th miner, Omar Reygada Rojas, is now on his way to the surface.
16.50 Daniel Herrera Campos is the 16th miner to reach the surface, where he is greeted by his mother.
16.43 The 16th miner, Daniel Herrera Campos, is on his way to the surface.
16.24 Chilean President Sebastian Pinera has said there will be a miner rescued every 40 minutes.
16.21 A new rescuer has travelled underground in the rescue capsule.
16.10 Victor Segovia Rajas has reached the surface.
15.59 Rajas, 48, An electrician and father-of-four had told his family: 'This hell is killing me. When I sleep I dream we are in an oven.'
15.55 Victor Segovia Rajas, miner number 15, is now in the rescue capsule.
15.38 A mechanic by trade, Victor Zamora Bugueno only went into the mine on the day of the accident to fix a vehicle.
15.33 Victor Zamora Bugueno is the 14th miner to reach the surface.
15.30 Bolivian President Evo Morales has visited Carlos Manami Solis, the only Bolivian and foreign national to be trapped in the mine.
15.28 Victor Zamora Bugueno is the 14th miner to make his way towards the surface.
14.54 Carlos Barrios Contreras becomes the 13th miner to be rescued.
14.16 Edison Pena, 34, has reached the surface.
He is a triathlete who in the early days of the ordeal ran more than 10km daily through the tunnels of the mine to ward off anxiety.
14.14 Twelve of the men are now safe above ground.
14.08 Mario Sepulveda, the second miner to be pulled from the mine, this morning said: 'I have been with God and I've been with the devil.'
14.02 Jorge Galleguillos has worked in mining for more than 40 years.
During Chile's September bicentennial celebrations, he could be seen dancing the traditional 'cueca' dance on camera in the depths of the mine.
He was ill during the ordeal and is believed to be one the miners most affected emotionally.
13.33 The eleventh miner reaches the surface. The 56-year-old broke a rib last year and suffers from hypertension.
13.15 Jorge Galleguillos Orellana enters the capsule.
13.05 Capsule returns to rescue eleventh miner.
12.54 Alex Richard Vega Salazar emerges to become the tenth miner to reach the surface.
12.40 Pope Benedict XVI has said he is continuing to pray for the ongoing rescue of the miners.
Speaking at his weekly public audience in St Peter' s Square, the Pontiff said in Spanish that he 'continues with hope to entrust to God's goodness' the fate of the men trapped in the collapsed mine in the Atacama desert.
12.37 Alex Richard Vega Salazar enters the capsule.
12.34 The capsule reaches the mine again.
12.31 Sky News is reporting that Alex Richard Vega Salazar ran 10km a day down in the mine in order to keep himself healthy. Unfortunately, his efforts have resulted in him sustaining a back injury.
12.24 The capsule is returning to the mine to collect the tenth miner.
12.22 Alex Richard Vega Salazar will be the next miner to enter the capsule. He is a 31-year-old heavy machinery mechanic, and is considered one of the most experienced miners despite the fact he has only worked down there for nine years.
He is among the middle group there are concerns over because he is suffering from hypertension and kidney problems.
12.12 Bolivian President Evo Morales will visit the site at 8.30am local time (12.30pm Irish).
12.11 Mario Gomez Heredia was seen as the spiritual leader of the group and was nicknamed 'The Navigator' by the other 32 miners because of his background as a merchant seaman.
11.59 Mario Gomez Heredia becomes the ninth miner to reach the surface. He has been a miner since he was 12 years old. The 63-year-old suffers from respiratory problems. He reportedly emerged as one of leaders down in the mine.
11.54 Mario Gomez Heredia is the oldest miner. His ascent will be the quickest as he will be be taken directly to hospital. Sky News reports that his wife has threatened to end the marriage should he ever return to a mine again.
11.35 Chilean Health Minister Jaime Manalich has said that the rescue operation could take as little as 36 hours to complete, which would be half a day less than anticipated.
11.28 The Chilean Health Minister says that they are expecting good weather, which should allow the rescue effort to continue throughout the day.
11.25 Mario Gomez Heredia will the ninth miner to be rescued.
11.22 Chilean Health Minister Jaime Manalich has said that the health of the rescued miners is quite good.
Speaking at a press conference, Mr Manalich said there have been only minor problems, such as increased heart rates and blood pressure.
But none of the men has required specific medication, he added.
He says the 'Phoenix' capsule is working very well, and that the whole process is transpiring better than they could have expected.
11.12 Claudio Yanez Lagos is the first of ten men that there are concerns over. The fears over his health stem from the fact that the 34-year-old is a heavy smoker.
11.10 The 'Hollywood' lights that have illuminated the site throughout the night are being turned off as the natural light of dawn takes hold.
11.06 Claudio Yanez Lagos becomes the eighth miner to reach the surface.
10.51 Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has taken to Twitter to send his best wishes to the rescue crews and the miners.
'We are with Chile! God be with you,' he wrote.
10.50 Eighth miner Claudio Yanez Lagos is in the capsule, which is making its way to the surface.
10.49 International interest appears to have overwhelmed authorities managing media at the mine site. They ran out of international media badges and began issuing hand-labeled IDs to reporters arriving from as far afield as China and Turkey.
10.36 Claudio Yanez Lagos will be the eighth miner to travel up in the capsule.
10:23 Jose Ojeda Vidal is the seventh miner to arrive on the surface.
09.50 The capsule is now returning to the mine to collect the seventh miner, who is due to be Jose Ojeda Vidal.
09.34 The capsule has reached the surface with the sixth miner Oscar Isidro Araya inside. He is a 30-year-old and is married with two children. He is immediately brought to the field hospital. He began working in the mine just four months ago.
09.31 Don Francisco, who is a television megastar in Latin America, has been broadcasting from the site.
'I haven't seen so much media attention since the Apollo XI back in 1969,' the Chilean performer said, referring to the NASA mission that sent men to the moon for the first time.
09.27 The second miner, Mario Sepulveda, brought a souvenir of a bag of rocks with him from the mine.
The rocks, which Mr Sepulveda gave out to rescue workers, appeared to be wrapped in silver tinfoil.
09.24 Oscar Isidro Araya is currently making his way to the surface.
09.17 The sixth miner, Oscar Isidro Araya, has entered the capsule to be brought to the surface.
09.01 The capsule is returning underground to collect the sixth miner.
08.55 Rescue workers appear to be changing oxygen bottles on the capsule.
08.46 The two first miners - Florencio Avalos and Mario Sepulveda - have arrived at the hospital at Copiapo. They will be kept under observation for approximately 48 hours.
08.34 Speaking on Morning Ireland, Thomas Kolditz, a Professor of Behavioural Sciences at West Point Military Academy in the US, said the Chilean authorities have handled the situation well and the miners now face the challenge of regaining control of their lives.
08.31 There has been a pause in the rescue effort as repairs and/or alterations are being made to the capsule.
08.27 Oscar Isidro Araya is set to be the sixth miner to travel in the capsule.
08.22 The second miner, Mario Sepulveda, told the assembled media that he 'never doubted' that he would get out of the mine alive.
08.18 A helicopter has left the scene, with the the first four miners believed to be on board. They are to be brought to a hospital in Copiapo.
08.12 The fifth miner, Jimmy Alejandro Sanchez Lagues, has reached the surface. He was apparently very nervous about making the trip.
08.03 The Chilean Ambassador to Ireland, Leonel Searle, has said that Chileans are 'moved' by today's events.
He said what began as a 'tragedy' now looks to be coming to a 'happy ending'.
07.59 US President Barack Obama has issued a statement saying that he is following the fortunes of the miners.
'Our thoughts and prayers are with the brave miners, their families, and the men and women who have been working so hard to rescue them,' said a statement issued by the White House in English and Spanish.
'While that rescue is far from over and difficult work remains, we pray that by God's grace, the miners will be able to emerge safely and return to their families soon.'
07.57 The fifth miner - Jimmy Alejandro Sanchez Lagues - is on his way to the surface.
07.48 A fifth miner, Jimmy Alejandro Sanchez Lagues, has entered the capsule to be brought to the surface.
07.29 The Chilean President says the rescue operation is 'without comparison in the history of humanity'.
The entire country has learned 'the value of faith and of hope, the value of comradeship and solidarity.'
07.11 23-year-old Carlos Mamani emerges from the mine.
06.50 The next man to be rescued is the sole Bolivian in the group. His President, Evo Morales, has already said he will be travelling to the mine today.
06.40 Morning Ireland will be speaking to Rory Carroll of the Guardian - who is at the San Jose mine - and Thomas Kolditz from West Point University, who will be discussing the challenges the men now face.
06.28 The fourth miner - Carlos Mamani - is on his way to the surface.
06.15 Many of the men suffered skin conditions due to the humidity in the mine, while others have chest infections and blood pressure problems.
All are said to be in high spirits however.
06.09 Juan Illanes hugs his wife as he becomes the third man to emerge from the mine.
He cheerfully says the trip to the surface was 'like a cruise'.
05.42 See the moment that Florencio Avalos became the first man to be rescued (first video link on top left)
05.28 'Everyone is following the rescue step by step. We are a Catholic country and we see this as a real miracle,' Maritza Gonzalez, a 50-year-old housewife in Santiago tells Chilean television.
05.16 A global audience has watched the unfolding rescue operation in Chile as the first of 33 miners trapped underground emerged into the cold night air of Chile's Atacama desert.
People logged on and tuned in to read, watch and listen as Florencio Avalos became the first to be successfully extracted from the mine.
The interest appeared to overwhelm authorities managing media at the mine site. They ran out of international media badges and began issuing hand-labelled IDs to reporters arriving from as far afield as China and Turkey.
05.09 Mario Sepulveda is pulled safely from the rescue shaft - he hugs his wife, the president - and everyone else in sight.
05.00 Excitement builds at the San Jose mine as the second man -
Mario Sepulveda - nears the surface.
04.49 A spokesperson for the US has hailed the 'remarkable' rescue operation still under way in Chile.
'Congratulations to Chile for the successful rescue of the first miner. What a remarkable display of hope and skill,' said US State Department spokesman PJ Crowley in a post on Twitter.
04.44 The capsule has arrived in the mine to pick up the second man. A roughly 17-minute journey to the surface lies ahead of him.
04.31 In a live television address, Chilean President Sebastian Pinera thanks God, the rescue team and his ministers for what he describes as 'a miracle'
04.27 The capsule has been sent back down to pick up the next of the trapped men. Families now anxiously check the schedule for each miner's release.
04.12 Florencio Avalos arrives on the surface and hugs his tearful family. He is then taken away for medical examination.
Rescuers, family and friends cheered as the remarkably calm looking 31-year-old emerged after his ascent of around 2,050 feet (below).
Relatives rushed to hug and kiss Avalos, who walked out of the capsule looking healthy after his nearly 16-minute journey to the surface.
He was then embraced by President Sebastian Pinera as the surrounding crowd chanted 'Chile! Chile!'
03.54 The first of the trapped miners is now being taken to the surface.
03.49 News of the rescuer's arrival in the mine prompts jubilant and emotional scenes on the surface.
03.41 It took the mine rescue expert 17 minutes to descend through the near half-mile shaft - he was hugged by waiting miners when he arrived.
03.37 The moment the capsule arrives in the mine shelter is relayed to screens on the surface (image below)
03.27 The first rescuer to be sent down to the mine is a mining rescue specialist - he will return to the surface as part of a test run. A medic will then travel down to the miners. Following this the first miner will be able to leave, according to reporters at the scene.
03.22 'We're here, we're more nervous than ever because he's going to be the first, but we're happy because his wife and his two children are going to be waiting for him' says the uncle of Florencio Avalos - who will be the first man to reach the surface.
03.12 The first rescuer is being lowered into the mine.
02.59 - The door of a rescue capsule being used to pluck miners from the has been dented in a test descent, causing a delay while it is fixed, according to AFP.
Jorge Sougarret, an expert interviewed on Chilean television, said the problem occurred when the capsule dropped below a section of the shaft that is lined in steel cladding.
02.48 Brant Webb and Todd Russell - two Australian miners who spent a fortnight trapped underground in 2006 - say the Chilean men will find the extraction process tough.
'It's going to be really hard for the individuals as they see their mates extracted from where they are, because they've been together for such a long time,' Russell told Australia's Nine Network TV.
02.34 Despite the last-minute delays, officials are well in advance of their very first estimate of a rescue date - originally given as Christmas.
02.25 Mining Minister Laurence Golborne has given an updated time of midnight local time (3am Irish) for the rescue operation, but final tests could yet delay this.
02.21 The man in charge of the rescue operation, Andre Sougarret, is on Twitter - follow him here
02.11 Florencio Avalos, 31, will be the first miner to be rescued. Married with two children, Florencio has been trapped along with his brother, 29-year-old Renan.
01.47 One of the 33 miners is a Bolivian national - Bolivian President Evo Morales has announced he will visit the mine in the early hours of this morning.
01.38 First capsule test run now taking place.
01.29 Noemi Donoso, whose 43-year-old son-in-law Samuel Avalos is among the trapped men, says her daughter has just left to have her hair done in a makeshift hairdressers in another of the camp's tents.
'She went to the salon to get fixed up so she can look pretty when she receives him,' Donoso said, as excited school children ran around the camp with facepaint on.
01.11 During the rescue operation, each miner will wear a 'bio-harness' designed for astronauts, which will monitor their heart rate, breathing, temperature and oxygen consumption.
After their rescue, the miners will be taken to a triage station and will later be flown to a hospital in Copiapo.
00.57 A technical coordinator at the mine, Rene Aguilar, has explained that the current tests have to do with three communication systems.
One is between the surface and the miner being rescued in the capsule, another between the surface and rescue workers who will descend into the mine, and a third between doctors and medical personnel among the rescuers to go into the mine.
He said the miners are installing a camera in their tunnel to provide images to rescuers.
00.46 'We intend to finish today with the first of the miners on the surface,' said the Chilean Mining Minister at around 8pm local time.
00.36 The rescue team will now conduct tests on a parallel communication system set up which will involve the capsule making two test runs, one empty and one with a load.
00.32 'The rescue process still hasn't started. We are still around two hours from starting this process,' Mining Minister Laurence Golborne told reporters a short time ago.
00.18 Florencio Avalos, a 31-year-old athletic father of two, was chosen by Chilean officials to be the first miner brought to the surface.
On Monday, rescuers successfully tested a capsule, dubbed 'Phoenix' after the mythical bird that rose from the ashes, after reinforcing part of the narrow escape shaft with metal casing to prevent rocks falling and blocking the exit.
00.16 Latest image from the rescue site below (watch live)
00.14 The first of 33 trapped miners will be pulled to safety in a capsule barely wider than a man's shoulders.
The men have spent 68 days underground since the 55 August collapse.
00.01 Chilean officials have delayed the start of the operation by two hours until about 0100 GMT (2am Irish)
(source:rte.ie)
(source:rte.ie)
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