2010 Copiapó mining accident

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A mining accident began on 5 August 2010 with a cave-in at the San José copper–gold mine in the Atacama Desert, 45 kilometers (28 mi) north of the regional capital of Copiapó, in northern Chile. Thirty-three men were trapped 700 meters (2,300 ft) underground and 5 kilometers (3 mi) from the mine's entrance. They were all rescued 69 days later. Although Chile is the world's top copper producer, its mines had a history of fatal accidents, with as many as 43 deaths in 2008. The San José mine was owned by the San Esteban Mining Company, which had ignored warnings from the Chilean Safety Administration. This negligence contributed to the collapse and the subsequent rescue operation. The collapse occurred at 14:00 CLT on 5 August 2010 while 34 people were present. One miner escaped, but the remaining 33 were trapped. The group was forced to retreat to an emergency refuge after discovering a safety ladder, required by code, was missing. After the state-owned mining company Codelco took over the...

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