Reaction to the 2010 Copiapó mining accident Reaction to the 2010 Copiapó mining accident The 2010 Copiapó mining accident occurred when the San Jose Mine near to Copiapó, Chile, collapsed, leaving 32 miners of Chilean nationality and one Bolivian miner trapped inside about 700 metres (over 2000 feet) below the surface. The men were trapped in the mine for 69 days before being rescued. The discovery of the miners and their eventual rescue received global attention, with over 2000 members of the media reporting from the San Jose Mine. Global leaders expressed good wishes for the rescue and congratulations upon its successful completion. Chilean President Sebastián Piñera
2010 Copiapó mining accident means to find the men were sought. The accident happened soon after sharp criticism of the government's handling of the Chilean earthquake and tsunami. Chile's President, Sebastián Piñera, cut short an official trip and returned to Chile in order to visit the mine. Exploratory boreholes about in diameter were drilled in an attempt to find the miners. Out-of-date mine shaft maps complicated rescue efforts and several boreholes drifted off-target due to the extreme drilling depth and the extremely hard rock. On 19 August one of the probes reached a space where the miners were believed to be trapped but found