The Rock Fall That Sealed In 33 Men

At about 2 p.m. on August 5, 2010, a cave-in struck the San José copper and gold mine, 45 kilometers north of Copiapó. Thirty-four people were inside. One ore-truck driver made it out. The other 33 were trapped 700 meters down and 5 kilometers from the entrance, along a long helical roadway. A thick cloud of dust from the rock fall blinded the men for as long as six hours.