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2010 Copiapó mining accident facts for kids

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Mina San José de Copiapó en 2010
The Mine of San José during the rescue efforts, on August 10, 2010.

The 2010 Copiapó mining accident was a mining accident that happened on August 5, 2010, when the copper-gold mine of San José, near Copiapó, Chile, collapsed. It left 33 miners trapped around 700 meters under the ground.

The Mine of San José (Mina San José) is about 45 kilometres (28 mi) north of Copiapó, in the Region of Atacama. The miners were trapped at about 700 metres (2,300 ft) deep and about 5 kilometres (3 mi) from the entrance of the mine. The mine has had accidents in the past, including one death. A report from the Chilean Government from July 2010, said that the owners of the mine did not "reinforce the roof." The lack of reinforcement "led to an earlier collapse of the roof". There has been controversy over why the mine was not closed down earlier.

Some people, including lawyers representing the mining company, think that the owners of the mine will declare bankruptcy after the miners are rescued.

On October 13, 2010, Florencio Ávalos reached the surface. He was the first miner to be rescued.

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Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Rescate de la mina San José para niños

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2010 Copiapó mining accident Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.