ONE of the 33 Chilean miners who spent over two months trapped 2,000ft underground has praised the "loving and welcoming" people of Woodford Green during a visit to the area.

A combined total of more than 1,000 people crammed into All Saints Church, in Inmans Row, yesterday and tonight to listen to the remarkable tale of 55-year-old Jose Enriquez, who is currently touring the UK to speak about how his Christian faith helped him during his ordeal.

Mr Enriquez was the 24th miner to be rescued after the drama last autumn when a shaft collapsed and trapped the group with hardly any food or water.

Speaking to the Guardian through an interpreter, the father-of-two said he was overwhelmed by the response to his visit.

He said: "I am very grateful that so many loving people came to see us in Woodford. I have had a great welcome.

"But I believe it is my duty to God to make visits like this.

"When we were down there we realised there was no way out unless there was a miracle. And our prayers were answered.

"It was a miracle, that cannot be denied."

Mr Enriquez described to the packed audience the horrifying moment the mine collapsed.

He said: "There was this great explosion of rock and a shockwave went right through the mine. There was dust everywhere which took four hours to settle."

The men managed to survive for the next 17 days by rationing their small supplies until they were unexpectedly discovered alive by a last-ditch drilling probe.

"When it came there was this feeling of uncontainable joy. Some of the men even grabbed the drill and didn't want to let go," he said.

Mr Enriquez claims he helped convert 22 of his colleagues to Christianity, something he describes as one of the highlights of the experience, along with the camaraderie of his fellow miners.

He said: "When the rescue people came we joked with one of them that we would kidnap him and eat him because we were so hungry".

Mr Enriquez was accompanied by his wife Blanca, who also spoke to the crowd.

"When he came out I said I'd missed him so much and that it was the longest shift he'd ever done," she joked.

All Saints's Rev Paul Harcourt said: "The visit has been fantastic for the church.

"I think the reason why this story has resonated with so many people is that it shows there is something more to life. You can't airbrush God out of the picture."