San José Mine
|
San José de Copiapó mine during the 2010 mining accident rescue efforts, on August 10. | |
| Location | |
|---|---|
  Mina San José Location in Chile | |
| Location | Copiapó |
| City | Atacama Region |
| Country | Chile |
| Coordinates | 27°09′31″S 70°29′52″W / 27.158609°S 70.497655°WCoordinates: 27°09′31″S 70°29′52″W / 27.158609°S 70.497655°W |
| Production | |
| Products | Copper, Gold |
| History | |
| Opened | 1889 |
| Closed | 2010 |
| Owner | |
| Company | San Esteban Mining Company |
The San José Mine (Spanish: Mina San José) is a small copper-gold mine located near Copiapó, Atacama Region, Chile.[1] The mine became known internationally for its collapse in 2010, which trapped 33 miners 700 metres (2,300 ft) underground.[2] Its workings are reached by a long sloping roadway with many spiral turns (a diagram shows ten turns), not by a vertical mineshaft.
History
The San José Mine is located 45 kilometers northwest of Copiapó. It began to be operated in 1889.[1] In 1957, Jorge Kemeny Letay, a Hungarian immigrant founded the San Esteban Mining Company (Spanish: Compañía Minera San Esteban).[1]
According to Terra, the mine's annual sales surpassed 20 million dollars.[1]
Between 2003 and 2010, several mining accidents occurred in the mine, causing at least three deaths.[1] In 2007, a geologist was killed in the mine, and led to its closure. It was reopened in May 2008 by SERNAGEOMIN – Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería (National Geology and Mining Service). In July 2010, miner Gino Cortés lost one of his legs in an accident.[1]
2010 accident
Compañía Minera San Esteban (English: San Esteban Mining Company) advised national authorities on 5 August 2010 that a collapse had occurred at 14:00 local time, and rescue efforts began the next day. National Emergencies Office of Chile reported that day a list of 33 trapped and possibly deceased miners, that included Franklin Lobos, a retired footballer, and Carlos Mamani, a Bolivian miner.[2] The miners were found alive 17 days later, on August 22.[3] Nonetheless, it was not until 69 days after the collapse on October 13, 2010, that the first miner, Florencio Ávalos, was rescued.[4]
San Esteban Mining Company is considering bankruptcy after the miners are rescued.[5] San José is the only mine owned by San Esteban.[5] President of Chile Sebastián Piñera said on October 12 that "the mine will remain closed until security measures that guard the life and dignity of the workers are established."[6]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Derrumbe en la Mina San José". Terra Perú (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2 March 2013. Retrieved October 13, 2010.
- 1 2 Navarrete, Camila (August 6, 2010). "Se confirman las identidades de mineros atrapados en mina San José en Región de Atacama." (in Spanish). Radio Bío Bío. Archived from the original on 2 March 2013. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
- ↑ Haroon Siddique (August 23, 2010). "Chilean miners found alive – but rescue will take four months". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2 March 2013. Retrieved August 23, 2010.
- ↑ "'Mission accomplished': All 33 miners rescued". CNN. October 12, 2010. Archived from the original on 18 November 2010. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
- 1 2 "Chile: la minera San José podría declararse en quiebra". Central de Noticias Tucumán (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 21 October 2010. Retrieved October 13, 2010.
- ↑ "Piñera: Mina San José será clausurada hasta que se establezcan normas de seguridad". Agencia Venezolana de Noticias (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 7 March 2012. Retrieved October 13, 2010.