Trapped Chilean miners: rescue efforts boosted by capsule arrival

23 September: A precision drilling machine (left), a T130 drill (centre), and a Xtrata 950 (right), all being used to dig holes to rescue the 33 miners Photograph: Ivan Alvarado/Reuters 24 September: A man works next to the bit of the RIG-421 drill, the fastest of the three drilling machines Photograph: Ivan Alvara/EPA 24 September: Griselda Godoy packs clothes to be sent to her son Carlos Barrios, one of the 33 men who have been trapped in the San José mine for seven weeks so far Photograph: Aliosha Marqueza/AP 24 September: La Esperanza (Hope) camp with the RIG-421 drill in the background Photograph: Ariel Marinkovic/AFP/Getty Images 25 September: A crane lifts the torpedo-shaped, man-size capsule dubbed the Phoenix, which will be used to haul the miners to the surface, one by one Photograph: Ivan Alvarado/Reuters 25 September: A worker checks the capsule designed by the Chilean naval shipyards, with which the 33 miners will be brought to the surface. On the far right is the Chilean mining minister, Laurence Golborne, and the left is Rene Aguilar, who is in charge of the rescue Photograph: Ariel Marinkovic/AFP/Getty Images 25 September: A crane unloads a module to be used as a schoolroom for the children and young relatives of the 33 trapped miners living at the Esperanza camp Photograph: Ariel Marinkovic/AFP/Getty Images 26 September: Lorries loaded with tubes, which will be used to protect the walls of the tunnels through which the capsules will go down, arrive at the operations area Photograph: Ariel Marinkovic/AFP/Getty Images 29 September: One of the 33 trapped miners works to cart away rock dropped into the tunnel by one of the rigs drilling from the surface to rescue them Photograph: Chilean Government/Reuters 29 September: Volunteer workers prepare bread at the camp where relatives of trapped miners wait for news Photograph: Aliosha Marquez/AP 30 September: An excavator works on a platform to receive the press the day of the rescue of the 33 miners trapped inside the San José mine Photograph: Ariel Marinkovic/AFP/Getty Images 30 September: Sofia Barrera, niece of trapped miner Jimmy Sanchez, plays in the dirt at Camp Esperanza (Hope), Photograph: Luis Hidalgo/Reuters 3 October: Members of the media take photographs of the San José mine from a makeshift heliport in Copiapó Photograph: Roberto Candia/AP 5 October: Relatives hold up a flag printed with the trapped miners' portraits during a ceremony marking the second month since the accident at the San José mine Photograph: Ivan Alvarado/Reuters 5 October: Aurelia Navarro, a volunteer missionary, prays during a ceremony marking 60 days since the miners became trapped Photograph: Dario Lopez-Mills/AP 5 October: Police on horseback patrol the area near the San José mine. Chile's President Sebastián Piñera announced that his government is very close to pulling 33 miners to safety Photograph: Dario Lopez-Mills/AP 6 October: A truck operator arrives with new machinery to be used to bring the 33 miners to the surface Photograph: Ariel Marinkovic/AFP/Getty Images 7 October: A media crew at the San Jose mine – where rescue efforts could reach miners by early next week Photograph: Martin Bernetti/AFP/Getty Images 7 October: Miguel Valenzuela carries packages sent up to him by his friend, trapped miner Jorge Galeguillos Photograph: Roberto Candia/AP 7 October: An air force officer measures the wind in a practice drill to prepare for the evacuation of the miners to a nearby hospital Photograph: Roberto Candia/AP