
San Jose mine - A 31-year-old driver, Florencio Avalos, was on Tuesday chosen by Chilean officials to be the first miner brought to the surface of a collapsed mine after a 10-week ordeal. He will be followed by Mario Sepulveda, 39, an electrical specialist, and then by Carlos Mamani, the only Bolivian in the group of the 33 trapped miners, a government source told AFP. Avalos's family said they were overjoyed that their relative would be the first to exit the mine, but stressed Florencio would have to leave behind his brother, Renan Avalos, among the other trapped miners to be winched up later. The two brothers were among the men who got caught in the mine when it collapsed August 5, beginning an unprecedented underground ordeal. Alberto Avalos, uncle to the two, told AFP the family was relieved they would soon be hugging Florencio. "It's fantastic. Imagine that he's first; he'll be the first to make declarations. We are very happy," he said. But, he added: "It's a very tough thing, to leave your brother below. He will carry out his orders." "I'm sure he didn't want that (to be first). He would have liked to see all the others go, with him last." 'Very rational' Alberto said he believed Florencio was chosen because he was second in charge of the miners, "very rational", a "total gentleman" who carried out orders to the letter. He is also an athletic man, who loves playing football with his two children, aged seven and 17. The older son came with his wife, Monica, and he <b>...</b>
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