Miner Alex Vega hugs his wife after his rescue on October 13. All 33 miners were rescued.
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Relatives stand by as rescuers work to free 33 miners trapped inside the San Jose mine near Copiapo, Chile, on August 6, 2010. The mine collapsed a day earlier, and the miners ended up trapped 2,300 feet underground for more than two months. See how the rescue operation unfolded.
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Miner Daniel Espinoza waits outside the collapsed copper and gold mine to help in the rescue efforts on August 7.
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Miners carry an effigy of Saint Lorenzo, the patron saint of miners, before a Mass outside the collapsed mine on August 10.
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Chilean President Sebastian Pinera holds up a plastic bag containing a message from the miners on August 22. Translated from Spanish, it read: "We are OK in the refuge, the 33." The miners were confirmed to be alive when rescue teams reached them via a tube that was sent down a small hole. The same hole was used to provide the miners with food, supplies and letters.
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Drilling machines work in the rescue operation on August 24.
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Marion Gallardo, the granddaughter of trapped miner Mario Gomez, writes a letter to her grandfather on August 25.
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Relatives watch a video of the trapped miners on August 26. Chilean television aired footage of the miners, showing them in good spirits and explaining how their underground shelter was set up.
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Minister Javier Soto dedicates one of the 33 Bibles that would be sent down to the miners on August 31.
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On September 8, volunteers install heating and water purification systems at the La Esperanza tent city that sprang up outside the mine as news of the collapse spread. Esperanza means hope in English.
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Margarita Segovia, the wife of miner Ariel Ticona, rests beside their newborn daughter Esperanza at a hospital in Copiapo on September 14.
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People celebrate the arrival of part of an oil rig on September 16. Soon, an escape route would be drilled for the trapped miners.
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On September 25, a worker tests a capsule that would be used as part of rescue operations.
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A rescue worker walks past a banner with pictures of the trapped miners on October 11.
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Media vehicles are parked on the outskirts of the mine on October 11.
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Loreto Campbell, a relative of miner Jorge Galleguillos, reacts while watching his rescue on a TV screen at the camp outside the mine on October 13. Galleguillos was the 11th of 33 miners who were rescued.