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2010 Copiapó mining accident

The 2010 Copiapó mining accident, also known then as the "Chilean mining accident", began on 5 August 2010, with a cave-in at the San José copper–gold mine, located 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, and were rescued after 69 days.[1][2]

"Copiapó mining accident" redirects here. For the 2006 accident in the Alex-Aguilar mine, see 2006 Copiapó mining accident.

Date

  • 5 August – 13 October 2010 (2010-08-05 – 2010-10-13)
  • (69 days)

14:05 CLT (UTC−04:00)

All 33 trapped miners rescued

Total closure and loss as of August 2010

US$1.8 million lawsuit as of August 2010

After the state-owned mining company, Codelco, took over rescue efforts from the mine's owners, exploratory boreholes were drilled. Seventeen days after the accident, a note was found taped to a drill bit pulled back to the surface: "Estamos bien en el refugio los 33" ("We are well in the shelter, the 33 of us").


Three separate drilling rig teams; nearly every Chilean government ministry; the United States' space agency, NASA; and a dozen corporations from around the world cooperated in completing the rescue. On 13 October 2010, the men were winched to the surface one at a time, in a specially built capsule, as an estimated 5.3 million people watched via video stream worldwide.[3][4][5] With few exceptions, they were in good medical condition with no long-term physical effects anticipated.[6] Private donations covered one-third of the US$20 million cost of the rescue, with the rest coming from the mine owners and the government.[7]


Previous geological instability at the old mine and a long record of safety violations for the mine's owners, San Esteban Mining Company, had resulted in a series of fines and accidents, including eight deaths, during the dozen years leading up to this accident.[8][9][10] After three years, lawsuits and investigations into the collapse concluded in August 2013 with no charges filed.[11]

Luis Urzúa (54), the shift foreman who immediately recognized the gravity of the situation and the difficulty of any rescue attempt. He gathered the men in a secure "refuge" then organized them and their meager resources to cope with a long-term survival situation.[48] Just after the incident, he led three men to scout the tunnel. After confirming the situation, he made detailed maps of the area to aid the rescue effort. He directed the underground aspects of the rescue operation and coordinated closely with engineers on the surface over the teleconference links.[49][50]

[5]

Florencio Ávalos (31), second in command of the group, assisted Urzúa in organizing the men. Because of his experience, physical fitness and emotional stability, he was selected as the first miner to ride the rescue capsule to the surface in case of complications during the 15-minute ascent in the cramped shaft. Naturally shy, he served as the camera operator for videos sent up to the miners’ families. He was trapped along with his younger brother Renan.

[50]

Yonni Barrios (50), became the medic of the trapped miners due to his six months of training he took to care for his elderly mother. He served the group by monitoring their health and providing detailed medical reports to the team of doctors on the surface. His fellow miners jokingly referred to him as "", an American TV medical drama character.[32][48]

Dr. House

Mario Gómez (63), the eldest miner, became the religious leader of the group, organizing a chapel with a shrine containing statues of saints as well as aiding counseling efforts by psychologists on the surface.[50]

[48]

José Henríquez (54), a preacher and a miner for 33 years, served as the miners' pastor and organized daily prayers.

[50]

Mario Sepúlveda (40), served as the energetic host of the miner's video journals that were sent to the surface to reassure the world that they were doing well. The local media dubbed him "Super " after the Super Mario Bros. video game for his energy, wit and humor.[50][51][52]

Mario

Ariel Ticona (29), served as the group's communications specialist, installing and maintaining the underground portion of the telephone and systems sent down by the surface team.[50]

videoconferencing

Tent city and the families[edit]

Campamento Esperanza (Camp Hope) was a tent city that sprang up in the desert as word of the mine's collapse spread. At first, relatives gathered at the mine entrance and slept in cars as they waited and prayed for word on the rescue operation's progress. As days turned into weeks, friends brought them tents and other camping supplies to provide shelter from the harsh desert climate. The encampment grew with the arrival of more friends and relatives, additional rescue and construction workers, and members of the media. Government ministers held regular briefings for the families and journalists at the camp. "We're not going to abandon this camp until we go out with the last miner left", said María Segovia, "There are 33 of them, and one is my brother".[71][72]


Many members of the miners' families at Camp Hope were devout Catholics who prayed almost constantly for the men.[73] As they waited, worried families erected memorials to the trapped men, lit candles and prayed. On a nearby hill overlooking the mine, the families placed 32 Chilean and one Bolivian flag to represent their stranded men. Small shrines were erected at the foot of each flag and amongst the tents, they placed pictures of the miners, religious icons and statues of the Virgin Mary and patron saints.[74]


María Segovia, the elder sister of drill operator Darío Segovia, became known as La Alcaldesa (the Mayoress) for her organizational skills and outspokenness.[75] As the families became more organized, the government took steps to provide some comforts, eventually providing a more private area for the relatives to avoid constant interrogation by the energetic press corps. Infrastructure such as a kitchen, canteen area, sanitary facilities and security were later added. Bulletin boards sprouted up and the local government established shuttle bus stops. Over time a school house and children's play zones were built while volunteers worked to help feed the families. Clowns entertained the children and organizations provided emotional and spiritual comfort to the waiting families.[76] Police and soldiers were brought in from Santiago to help maintain order and security with some patrolling the desert perimeter on horseback. In many respects the camp gradually grew into a small city.[77][78]

5 August 2010 (2010-08-05): Rock-fall at the San José mine in the in northern Chile leaves 33 gold and copper miners trapped 700 metres (2,296 ft) below ground.

Atacama Desert

7 August 2010 (2010-08-07): Second collapse hampers rescue efforts and blocks access to lower parts of the mine. Rescuers begin drilling to send down listening devices.

boreholes

22 August 2010 (2010-08-22): 17 days after the first collapse, a note is found attached to one of the drill bits, saying: "Estamos bien en el refugio, los 33" (English: "We are well in the shelter, the 33"). The miners were in a shelter having lunch when the first collapse occurred, and had survived on rations. Food, medical supplies, clothes and bedding began to be sent down the borehole.

27 August 2010 (2010-08-27): The miners send first video greetings to the surface.

30 August 2010 (2010-08-30): First attempt to drill a hole to rescue the men, Plan A, begins.

5 September 2010 (2010-09-05): Plan B drilling begins.

18 September 2010 (2010-09-18): Miners celebrate holiday underground.[134]

Chilean Bicentennial

19 September 2010 (2010-09-19): Plan C drilling begins.

24 September 2010 (2010-09-24): Miners had now been trapped underground for 50 days, longer than anyone else in history.

9 October 2010 (2010-10-09): Plan B drill breaks through to the miners' workshop.

11 October 2010 (2010-10-11): "Fénix 2" rescue capsule is tested to ensure that it can pass up and down the newly completed shaft.

12 October 2010 (2010-10-12): Rescue begins at 23:20 .

CLDT

13 October 2010 (2010-10-13): At 21:56 the last of the 33 miners is brought to the surface.[27]

CLDT

14 October 2010 (2010-10-14): First three miners released from hospital.

15 October 2010 (2010-10-15): 28 more miners released from hospital, two remain for further treatment; dental and psychological follow-up.

16 October 2010 (2010-10-16): Mario Sepúlveda discharged from hospital after additional psychological tests.

19 October 2010 (2010-10-19): Víctor Zamora released from hospital after dental problems.

[135]

25 October 2010 (2010-10-25): Rescued miners honored at the "" presidential palace, met with President Sebastián Piñera, posed for pictures with the "Fénix 2" capsule and played a friendly game of football against a government team at the Julio Martínez Prádanos National Stadium.[136]

La Moneda

This is a general chronology of the events, from the beginning:

Books[edit]

While still trapped in the mine, the 33 miners chose to collectively contract with a single author to write an official history so that none of the 33 could individually profit from the experiences of others.[174][175] The miners chose Héctor Tobar, a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer at the Los Angeles Times. Tobar had exclusive access to the miners and in October 2014 published an official account titled Deep Down Dark: The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine, and the Miracle That Set Them Free. Tobar described the previous books published on the topic as "quick and dirty" with "almost no cooperation from the miners."[175] These books include Trapped: How the World Rescued 33 Miners from 2,000 Feet Below the Chilean Desert (August 2011) by Marc Aronson; Buried Alive!: How 33 Miners Survived 69 Days Deep Under the Chilean Desert (2012) by Elaine Scott; 33 Men: Inside the Miraculous Survival and Dramatic Rescue of the Chilean Miners (October 2011) by Jonathan Franklin.[168][176]

- coal mine collapse in 1963 in Sheppton, Pennsylvania that trapped three miners, one miner died two were rescued. Was the first mine rescue to rescue miners using bore holes.

Sheppton Mine disaster and rescue

– resulted in two deaths.

2006 Copiapó mining accident

– 22 Elecab miners were trapped and rescued in 2021.

Shandong Qixia Gold Mine Explosion Accident

– a cave explorer who died after 14 days in 1925. The accident scene was a national media frenzy.

Floyd Collins

– a three-year-old Californian girl who died after falling down a well in 1949 and whose two-day rescue attempt was broadcast live on radio and national TV.

Kathy Fiscus

– fell down a well and died as a six-year-old in 1981 in Italy. The rescue attempt was broadcast live for 18 hours.

Alfredo Rampi

– a Texas toddler who survived being trapped in a well for over two days in 1987, while the rescue operation was televised live on CNN.

Jessica McClure

– a successful rescue operation of miners using a similar rescue capsule in Pennsylvania in 2002.

Quecreek Mine rescue

– two of three Australian miners were rescued in 2006 after two weeks underground.

Beaconsfield Mine collapse

– incident in India where a flood entered into a coal mine.

Chasnala mining disaster

– successful rescue involving a football team in Thailand.

Tham Luang cave rescue

– Spanish toddler who fell in 2019 in a well and died after a rescue attempt of 13 days.

Julen Rosello

– Moroccan child who fell into a well and died in 2022.

Rayan Oram

– successful rescue of 41 workers trapped inside the tunnel.

2023 Uttarakhand tunnel rescue

(large image), DigiMapas, October 2010

High-Resolution, Aerial Image of Mine Site