prince william and queen: Rescue operation to free 33 trapped Chilean miners brought forward to begin tonight

By Richard James
Last updated at 4:21 PM on 12th October 2010

Rescue teams have brought forward the start of the operation to bring 33 trapped Chilean miners to the surface.

Officials confirmed on Tuesday the rescue effort will now begin at 22:00 local time (midnight BST), four hours earlier than originally planned, although no reason has been given for the time change.

Earlier, one of the men, trapped half a mile underground for over two months, expressed fears that attempts to rescue them could cause the mine's roof to collapse.

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Tests: A rescue worker steps out of a capsule similar to the one that will be used to liberate the trapped miners at the San Jose mine near Copiapo

Tight squeeze: The 33 trapped miners are set to begin their bid for freedom later on Tuesday

Tight squeeze: The 33 trapped miners are set to begin their bid for freedom later today

The long wait: The miners have been trapped underground for over two months

The long wait: The miners have been trapped underground for more than two months. There are now fears that attempts to rescue them could spark a rockfall

Planned celebrations: Street vendors have begun selling flags and banners with 'Welcome Heroes of Chile' and '33' in downtown Copiapo

In a letter to his father, Ariel Ticona, 29, wrote: 'I hope the rescue won't take much longer because last night the mountain started to move, making very loud cracking noises.

'We have heard falling rocks and we don't know if they are above or below us, but it's not a good sign.'

Rescuers, though, are confident they can winch the men to safety without any drama and have now safely tested the escape capsule four times after reinforcing the deep shaft with metal tubes.

Medical care: The hospital of Copiapo, has had its windows taped up to protect the miners' eyes but also keep the media at bay

Medical care: The hospital of Copiapo, has had its windows taped up to protect the miners' eyes but also keep the international media at bay

Concern: Relatives of the 33 men have expressed concerns at the level of attention the miners are expected to receive once they make it to the surface

Final stages: Engineers have reinforced the escape shaft with metal tubes so the Phoenix escape capsule can hopefully makes its way to the surface without any issues

The rescue attempt is expected to begin in the next few hours, with a paramedic heading down the shaft to the men to help prepare them for their trip to the surface.

The men are set to be brought to the surface in a metal capsule - dubbed the Phoenix - which is only 22 inches wide.

They will come up with green overalls bearing their name, with the fittest making the journey first in case the capsule breaks down and they need to lower themselves back down again.

The operation to bring the miners back to the surface is set to begin at midnight BST

Mine: The men have been trapped half a mile underground after the mine they were working in collapsed on August 5

A huge camp of relatives and the international media has been set up on the surface next to the collapsed mine at Copiapo in the Atacama Desert

TRAPPED: A TIMELINE

August 5 - 33 miners are trapped underground when part of the San Jose mine in Chile's Atacama desert collapses.
August 7 - A second collapse blocks access to the lower parts of the mine, hampering rescue efforts. Attempts are made to drill holes to the miners, but no contact is made.
August 22 - Rescue workers hear tapping on a drill that has reached a depth of 688 metres. The miners are confirmed to be alive. First video of the miners is recorded and shows them to be in a better condition than feared.
August 23 - Food, water and communication equipment are sent down a hole to the miners.
August 30 - Rescuers decide the best way to free the miners is to drill three shafts and winch them to safety.
September 26 - The first of three rescue capsules built to lift out the men arrives at the mine.
October 9 - The miners celebrate as a drilling rig breaks through into their underground chamber. It is decided that only the first 96 metres of the shaft need to be reinforced.
October 11 - A test rescue capsule is successfully sent to within 40ft of the men

Health minister Jaime Manalic said the first out will be the four fittest of frame and mind, followed by the ten weakest or ill.

One miner is currently suffering from hypertension. Another is a diabetic, and others have dental and respiratory infections or skin lesions from the mine’s oppressive humidity.

The last man out is expected to be Luiz Urzua, who was shift chief when the men became trapped, several family members of miners told the AP news agency.

The men will take a twisting, 20-minute ride for 2,041ft up to the surface. It should take about an hour for the rescue capsule to make a round trip.

Commenting on the test runs, which involved the Phoenix being winched 2,000ft underground and just 40ft short of where the miners have been stuck since August 5, Chile's mining minister Laurence Golborne said: 'It didn’t even raise any dust'.

Once extracted, the miners are set to be ushered through inflatable tunnels, like the ones used in sports stadiums, to ambulances that will take them to a triage station.

After being cleared by doctors there, they are to be taken to another area where they’ll be reunited with one to three family members chosen by each miner.

Following the reunion, the miner will be driven to a heliport and then taken by Chilean air force helicopters to the hospital in the nearby city of Copiapo.

Families of the 33 men expressed their fears this week of the media onslaught facing the miners when they reach the surface.

There are believed to be around 2,000 journalists camped out above the San Jose mine in anticipation of the men's escape.

News teams have also set up camp outside the hospital in Copiapo where two wards have had their windows taped up to protect the miners' sensitive eyes after so long underground, but also to allow them some privacy.