The first 18 of 33 miners trapped underground for more than two months in northern Chile have been winched to the surface amid scenes of jubilation.
Florencio Avalos, the first to be released, was greeted by family and President Sebastian Pinera when he emerged at 0010 local time (0310 GMT).
All the freed miners are being taken to a triage centre for health checks.
The oldest of the 33, the youngest and the only non-Chilean are among those rescued to date.
The operation has run smoothly so far. Health Minister Jaime Manalich said that if working conditions stayed the same, the rescue should be completed in one-and-a-half days, half a day quicker than predicted.
The men have been trapped underground since 5 August, when a rockfall caused a tunnel to collapse.
After their reunion with relatives, the miners are being flown by helicopter to hospital in the nearby city of Copiapo.
Outside the hospital, barriers have been set up to cope with the crowds of onlookers and journalists.
During their journey to the surface, the miners wear a "bio-harness" designed for astronauts, which monitors their heart rate, breathing, temperature and oxygen consumption. The rescue capsule is checked every eight ascents.
Officials said the first few men to be winched to the surface included some of the most psychologically stable and experienced of the miners, in case something went wrong.
Florencio Avalos, the first to be released, was greeted by family and President Sebastian Pinera when he emerged at 0010 local time (0310 GMT).
All the freed miners are being taken to a triage centre for health checks.
The oldest of the 33, the youngest and the only non-Chilean are among those rescued to date.
The operation has run smoothly so far. Health Minister Jaime Manalich said that if working conditions stayed the same, the rescue should be completed in one-and-a-half days, half a day quicker than predicted.
The men have been trapped underground since 5 August, when a rockfall caused a tunnel to collapse.
After their reunion with relatives, the miners are being flown by helicopter to hospital in the nearby city of Copiapo.
Outside the hospital, barriers have been set up to cope with the crowds of onlookers and journalists.
During their journey to the surface, the miners wear a "bio-harness" designed for astronauts, which monitors their heart rate, breathing, temperature and oxygen consumption. The rescue capsule is checked every eight ascents.
Officials said the first few men to be winched to the surface included some of the most psychologically stable and experienced of the miners, in case something went wrong.
I must admit feeling quite choked when I watched the third miner come up live early this morning, it also makes a change to post a good news story.
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