The last of the 33 miners to be hoisted to safety from the San José mine in northern Chile – shift leader Luis Urzúa – had a message for Sebastián Pi?era, the president: “This can never happen again.”

Mr Pi?era said Mr Urzúa’s words “touched my soul” and responded with an overhaul of labour safety legislation which he promised would be “a new deal” for the country’s workers. Mr Pi?era’s conservative government expects to unveil the changes in a follow-up to the rescue, which concluded on Wednesday night and cost $10m-$20m.

“I talked to Luis Urzúa today,” the president said outside a hospital in Copiapó, the nearest big town to the mine, after visiting the 33 men. Most are in remarkable condition and some could be discharged as early as Thursday. But one has pneumonia, others have dental problems and one has damage to his eyes.