October 14, 2010 2:06 PM

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Chile celebrates as all 33 miners trapped underground for over, two months pulled out safely

In Chile, all 33 trapped miners have been rescued from the bowels of the earth. Luis Urzua, 54, who was leading the shift at the time of the accident, was the last of the miners to travel through 625 meters 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 after spending 69 days in a dimly-lit tunnel.Urzua beamed as an elated crowd chanted, yelled, sobbed and waved red, white and blue Chilean flags. The miners have set a new world record for survival trapped underground.Rescue workers opened the capsule door and hugged Urzua, who had insisted throughout that he will not leave the tunnel until all the other miners are safely evacuated.They are now all safe, thanks to a meticulously-planned rescue operation that went quicker and more smoothly than anyone dared to believe.The miners were whisked away for medical check ups and were found to be in good health, except for one who has pneumonia and is being treated with antibiotics.

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