VIDEO | First 12 Chilean miners finally pulled to freedom

Florencio Avalos, 31, was the first miner to reach the surface. Around an hour later, Mario Sepulveda Espinace, 41, followed.

He was followed up by Juan Illanes and Carlos Mamani, who kissed his waiting wife Veronica and shouted: "Gracias, Chile!"

Jimmy Sanchez, the youngest miner at 19, emerged next. He had only been working at the mine for five months and had been showing signs of anxiety.

Osman Araya, 30, was the sixth to be freed, in an emotional reunion with his wife. Seventh miner Jose Ojeda was the man whose scribbled note - which read "All 33 of us are safe in the shelter" - had informed the world the miners were still alive, 17 days after the rockfall that trapped them.

The eighth, Claudio Yanez, was met by his partner of 11 years, Cristina Nunez. They had agreed to marry during the ordeal.

The next is the oldest miner, 63-year-old Mario Gomez, who sent up a letter shortly after the miners were found to be alive, expressing love for his family and saying that the mining company "has got to modernise".

Alex Vega, 31, was met by his wife Jessica Salgado, while the eleventh miner to be freed, Jorge Galleguillos, said the journey to the top was "very smooth."

"The only thing I wanted was to reach the top," he told President Pinera at the triage centre.

The twelfth miner, Edison Pena, 34, has also reached the surface. He became known as "the runner", running up to 5km a day through the mine tunnels to keep himself fit, despite the 30-35C heat.

Each made their escape in a specially-made capsule which was hoisted up the near half-mile shaft in around 16 minutes.

As the men reached the surface to breathe their first fresh air in 69 days, they were hugged and kissed by their families, rescue workers and President Sebastian Pinera.

While the crowds chanted "Chile! Viva Chile!", Mr Pinera delivered a triumphant speech.

"Hopefully the spirit of these miners will remain forever with us... this country is capable of great things," he said.

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 two miners' ascent came soon after the first rescuer, Manuel Gonzalez, successfully reached the chamber of the San Jose mine.

Mr Gonzalez, who first went down a mine at the age of six with his father, will stay at the bottom of the mine until the last miner is winched to safety.

Luis Urzua - who was shift foreman when the gold and copper mine caved in on August 5 - is expected to be the last man to be hoisted up.

The first four men out have been deemed the fittest in body and mind, officials said.

Us President Barack Obama wished the emergency team well, saying: "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.

"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."

The delicate process to lift all the men to safety is expected to take around 48 hours. The capsule, nicknamed the "Phoenix", is equipped with oxygen masks and escape hatches in case the miners get stuck.

Inside, the miners can communicate with rescue teams using an intercom.

They have been told to keep their eyes closed and have been given dark glasses to avoid damaging their eyesight after spending so long underground. 

Engineers said the final stage of the rescue still has its risks but the capsule was handling well in the shaft, and they expect the operation to go smoothly.

After being extracted, the miners are being ushered through inflatable tunnels to ambulances that take them to a triage station.

Once cleared by doctors there, they are being taken to another area where they are being reunited with chosen family members.

Next is a 10-minute flight to Copiapo in a military helicopter, where all the miners will be kept in hospital for 48 hours of observation.

The Chilean health minister Jaime Manalich has likened the rescue process to pregnancy.

He said each time a man exits the escape shaft the mine will be "giving birth to one of its children".

Surprises await the miners on the surface, including invites to watch Real Madrid and Manchester United play, a free holiday in the Greek islands and a gift of £6,200 by a flamboyant singer-turned-mining magnate.