Drill bore reaches 33 trapped Chilean miners

However, it would take weeks for the 630-metre-deep hole to be re-drilled to allow the miners to be pulled out. The width was now 30cm and would need to be about 70cm to allow them to pass through.

It was hoped the men could be freed by early November.

They had been trapped when the main access tunnel to the San Jose copper and gold mine near Copiapo collapsed.

Video footage made by the miners and released by the Chilean government yesterday showed scenes of jubilation as the drill broke through, showering the chamber with water and rock.

The miners hugged each other, shouting "viva Chile!" and posed for the camera with broad smiles.

"We are extremely excited by what has been done," said Mario Sepulveda, the spokesman for the group.

The 32 Chileans and one Bolivian had survived longer than any other group trapped underground.

Three bore holes had already reached the men to supply them with food, water and medicine.

Atacama region Governor Ximena Matas had confirmed that the Schramm T-130 probe had reached the cavern holding the trapped miners.

The T-130 was the second of three drilling operations and was expected to be the fastest.

The first option, the Strata 950 probe, was expected to reach the men by Christmas.

Assembly of the third probe, the giant RIG-422 drill, was completed on Thursday but it had not yet started drilling. It had a two-month rescue timetable.

Chile celebrated its bicentennial independence celebrations today and the miners and their families were expected to raise the Chilean flag and sing the national anthem.

The men had been found to be alive 12 days after the collapse and relatives had since set the aptly-named “Camp Hope” at the pithead.