Chile honours trapped miners one year on

The Chilean miners who spent 69 days trapped in a copper mine yesterday marked the one-year anniversary since their ordeal began.

A memorial service in the desert town of Copiapo was attended by 27 of the 33 miners who became trapped on 5 August 2010, when the shaft they were working in collapsed.

The Chilean President, Sebastian Piñera, above right, was in attendance at a Mass, the first in a series of events being held to mark the anniversary.

Several miners carried an image of the Virgin to the Candelaria cathedral in Copiapo. The mine has been closed since the miners were pulled out alive.

Copiapo's archbishop gave an emotional homily, after which Mr Piñera returned to miner Jose Ojeda the note he wrote that provided the first word that the men had survived.