Wife of trapped Chile miner gives birth to baby girl

Ariel Ticona, 29,who has been trapped underground for 40 days along with another 32 miners, had promised his wife he will be in the delivery room. They have another two children together.

Relatives who recorded the delivery said they will sent the video down through one of the shafts used to supply the men with food and other requirements.

The main access tunnel to the San Jose copper and gold mine collapsed on 5 August, leaving 33 men trapped 700 metres below ground; an excavation which could take up to four months.

Elizabeth Segovia said they had first planned on naming their daughter Carolina, but then decided to change it to Esperanza, after the camp at the mine head where many of the families have been living since the collapse occurred.

Ariel's father, Hector Ticona said "She weighed a little more than 3kg and everything went well, we're just waiting for them to be discharged," he said.

Mr Ticona said he would go to the mine on Wednesday to try and speak to his son over a telephone line which has been lowered to the miners through a narrow supply hole. The miners have been communicating with their families over a video link.

The Schramm T-130, one of the machines drilling a hole to rescue the men, has been out of commission for four days after a piece of the drill broke off and got caught in the machinery. Engineers said yesterday that work could resume today as the drill has been fixed.

A third drill is being assembled at the mine, but is not expected to start working before 20 September