Date | January 20, 2006 |
---|---|
Time | 08:30 local time (11:30 UTC) |
Location | Copiapó, Chile |
Casualties | |
2 killed | |
2 Injured |
The 2006 Copiapó mining accident occurred on January 20, 2006, when an explosion occurred in the underground Carola-Agustina copper mine in Copiapó, Chile. It was caused by two trucks colliding, and the explosion covered the only escape route for the miners inside the mine. [1] [2]
The explosion caused two deaths and two injuries. Seventy miners were trapped. [1]
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. [1] Rescue efforts lasted seven hours, and the 70 trapped miners were rescued alive.