Compañía Minera San Esteban Primera Compañía Minera San Esteban Primera Compañía Minera San Esteban Primera (San Esteban Primera Mining Company) is a Chilean mining company, dedicated to the production of copper and gold concentrates. San Esteban's headquarters are located in Providencia, Santiago Metropolitan Region. San Esteban also owns the San José Mine in Copiapó, Chile, where 33 miners were trapped underground for 69 days after a mining accident on August 5, 2010. Chile has a long tradition in mining, which developed during the 20th century and made the country the world's top producer of copper. Since 2000, an average of 34 people have died every
Miners' survival during 2010 Copiapó mining accident speak the truth and believe in democracy,” said Urzúa. “Everything was voted on ... We were 33 men, so 16 plus one was a majority.” With the honor of beleaguered ships’ captains over the ages, 54-year-old Urzúa was the last man out after 70 long days trapped below the Atacama desert. Following the collapse of the mine on 5 August, the leader dispatched men to find out what had happened and see if it was possible to escape but they could not find an exit route. “We were trying to find out what we could do and what we could