The 2006 Copiapó mining accident occurred on January 20, 2006, when an explosion occurred in the underground Carola-Agustina copper mine in

Copiapó Copiapó () is a List of cities in Chile, city and communes of Chile, commune in northern Chile, located about 65 kilometers east of the coastal List of towns in Chile, town of Caldera, Chile, Caldera. Founded on December 8, 1744, it is the capi ...

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

. It was caused by two trucks colliding, and the explosion covered the only escape route for the miners inside the mine. The explosion caused two deaths and two injuries. Seventy miners were trapped. Shortly after the explosion occurred, workers at the nearby mine, ''"Punta de Cobre"'', began digging a tunnel towards the Carola-Agustina mine to assist in rescuing the trapped miners. Rescue efforts lasted seven hours, and the 70 trapped miners were rescued alive.

References

Mining disasters in Chile 2006 mining disasters History of Atacama Region Labor in Chile Presidency of Ricardo Lagos 2006 disasters in Chile January 2006 in South America Copper mining in Chile {{mining-stub

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