2010 Copiapó mining accident San Jose Mine were around 20% higher than at other Chilean mines due to its poor safety record. The collapse occurred at 14:00 CLT on 5 August 2010. Access to the depths of the mine was by a long helical roadway. A group nearer the entrance escaped, but a second group of 33 men were trapped deep inside. A thick dust cloud caused by the rock fall blinded the miners for as much as six hours. Initially, the trapped miners tried to escape through ventilation shafts, but the ladders required by safety codes were missing. Luis Urzúa, the duty shift
Pabst Mine disaster the first rescuer to reach them asked what they wanted most, and when they replied that they wanted tobacco, he supplied them with a cigar. When news reached Ironwood that the miners had been found, much of the population rushed to the mine, including families of the trapped miners. As many as 5,000 people were waiting at the top of the shaft when the miners came in small groups up the elevator in "H" shaft. The miners, who had been trapped in the mine for 129 hours, were transported to a local hospital before being released. The story of the