The Ladders That Should Have Been There

The men first tried to leave through the ventilation shafts. The ladders that safety codes require inside them were missing. Shift foreman Luis Urzúa gathered everyone in the refuge, a room of about 50 square meters with two long benches, then led three men down the tunnel to scout. Beyond the refuge lay about 2 kilometers of open tunnels, room to walk and find some privacy, but no way to the surface.