Rescue cage for trapped Chilean miners arrives at mine head

The steel capsule would be used to pull the men to safety one by one, once a rescue shaft wide enough to haul them up had been drilled.

Relatives of the miners were allowed to get into the narrow cage, which was little more than 50 centimetres wide.

It was expected to take between 20-30 minutes to pull each miner up from their shelter at a depth of 700 metres.

The long and extremely narrow steel case had been named Phoenix, and its designers hoped it would lift the men to a new life over ground much like the bird in Greek mythology rose from the ashes.

Relatives of the miners, who had been camped out at the mine head since the men had been trapped after a rock fall more than seven weeks ago, clapped when the rescue capsule was unveiled.

Carolina Lobos, 25, whose father Franklin was one of the men trapped, was one of a handful of relatives allowed to step into the cage.

She was quoted as saying that the capsule “looked very narrow, but was actually surprisingly comfortable inside”.

Lobos explained how she had enough space to move and did not feel claustrophobic.

She did point out, though, that she had only been in the capsule for a couple of minutes and in the open air, whereas her father would have to stay in the cage for up to half an hour while it was pulled through the 700 metre of rock separating him and the other 32 miners from the surface.

"I was very nervous, my heart was racing," she said.

"It was a very emotional moment for me to be in the capsule that will lift my dad to safety and bring him back to us," Lobos added.

The capsule was fitted with communication equipment allowing the miners to stay in touch with the surface, and with enough oxygen to last for 90 minutes.