Efforts to free Chilean miners trapped underground continue

2 September 2010: Workers operate the Xtrata 950 drill digging the Plan A escape shaft for the 33 miners trapped underground Photograph: Martin Mejia/Reuters

3 September: A Schramm T130 drill, normally used to bore water wells, arrives at the San Jose mine to dig the Plan B tunnel Photograph: Luis Hildago/Reuters

4 September: The trapped miner Claudio Yanez speaks to members of his family via a video link from the San Jose mine Photograph: Chilean Government /EPA

4 September: Pedro Algorta (second left), Gustavo Zerbino (third left) and Ramon Sabella (second right), Uruguayan survivors of the 1972 plane crash in the Chilean Andes, pose for photos with relatives of trapped miners at the San Jose mine. The survivors shared their experiences with relatives of the trapped miners Photograph: Martin Mejia/AP

5 September: Margarita Lagos, the mother of trapped miner Claudio Yanez, cries during a ceremony on the 30th day after the miners became trapped Photograph: Hector Retamal/AFP/Getty Images

6 September: Romina Gomez, the daughter of trapped miner Mario Gomez, unfolds a letter from her father Photograph: Ariel Marinkovic/AFP/Getty Images

7 September: The mother and sister of trapped miner Victor Zamora write a letter to him Photograph: Ariel Marinkovic/AFP/Getty Images

13 September: Nelly Bugueno (left) and Yesica Cortes, the mother and wife of the trapped miner Victor Zamora, read letters from him Photograph: Aliosha Marquez /AP

5 September: The Schramm T130 drill is prepared for operation. It is intended to dig parallel to another, slower drill already in use Photograph: Luis Hidalgo/Reuters

7 September: The captain of the mounted police, Hernan Pena (left), and policeman Juan Zamorano eat lunch at the camp by the rescue site Photograph: Ariel Marinkovic/AFP/Getty Images

7 September: Two members of the mounted police watch the rescue area by the San Jose mine Photograph: Ariel Marinkovic/AFP/Getty Images

8 September: The site where the T-130 will drill in the Plan B scheme to rescue the 33 trapped miners Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

8 September: Volunteers install heating and water purification systems at La Esperanza encampment outside the mine Photograph: Ariel Marinkovic/AFP/Getty Images

9 September: A member of a rescue team loads delivery tubes for sending food to the miners Photograph: Luis Hidalgo/EPA

10 September: A convoy of army trucks carry parts of the drill that will be used for the Plan C tunnel to the miners Photograph: Ariel Marinkovic/AFP/Getty Images

10 September: Images of trapped miners and Chilean flags at the camp outside the San Jose mine Photograph: Aliosha Marquez/AP

11 September: A man works on a communication antenna in front of the mine Photograph: Ivan Alvarado/Reuters

11 September: Miners walk next to a Chilean flag outside the main gate Photograph: Ivan Alvarado/Reuters

12 September: Rene Aguilar, the chief of rescue operations, shows part of the broken hammer of the T-130 drill Photograph: Hector Retamal/AFP/Getty Images

13 September: An artist's rendering shows three views of the capsule being built to individually contain the miners as they are brought to the surface once a hole wide enough has been bored Photograph: Chilean Navy/Reuters

14 September: Esperanza Ticona, the newborn first child of trapped miner Ariel Ticona and his wife, Elizabeth Segovia, sleeps at the Copiapo clinic Photograph: Aliosha Marqueza/AP

15 September: Policemen patrol near a media centre at the rescue site Photograph: Luis Hidalgo/Reuters

15 September: Bastian Gallardo, grandson of trapped miner Mario Gomez, washes his hands at the camp Photograph: Aliosha Marqueza/AP

16 September: Workers finish assembling a large oil drilling platform that is part of Plan C to reach the miners Photograph: Hector Retamal/AFP/Getty Images

16 September: Relatives of the trapped miners celebrate as trucks arrive from Bolivia with electric motors Photograph: Hector Retamal/AFP/Getty Images

17 September: A video shows part of a drill inside the San Jose mine in Copiapó, Chile. Drilling equipment pounded its way into one of the caverns where 33 miners have been trapped for a month and a half, completing a bore hole ahead of schedule, raising hopes that the men can be pulled out earlier than expected Photograph: Chile's Presidency/AP

18 September: Relatives of trapped miners watch a video of their loved ones at the San Jose mine Photograph: Aliosha Marqueza/AP

18 September: A video grab shows some of the trapped miners singing the national anthem as they celebrate Chile's independence bicentennial inside the San Jose mine. The miners feasted on traditional Chilean meat pies – two each – baked in tubular form to fit through the narrow bore holes. The text in the background reads 'We're okay in the shelter all 33' Photograph: Chile's Presidency/AP

18 September: A helicopter flies over the San Jose mine near Copiapó. One of three drills has reached the trapped miners but its 630-metre deep hole must now be widened to bring the men out safely. The work will take more than a month Photograph: Martin Bernetti/AFP/Getty Images

19 September: Chilean writer Isabel Allende (left), President Sebastián Piñera (centre) and his wife Cecilia Morel take part in a ceremony for the start of the oil drill platform operation Photograph: Aliosha Marqueza/AP

21 September: Bastian Gallardo, grandson of trapped miner Mario Gomez, studies as rescue efforts continue Photograph: Claudio Reyes/EPA

22 September: The drill being used in Plan C to free the 33 trapped miners is illuminated at night at the San Jose mine Photograph: Aliosha Marqueza/AP