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|litigation = US$2 million lawsuit |website = |notes= }} The 2010 Copiapó mining accident, also known then as the "Chilean mining accident", began in the afternoon of Thursday, 5 August 2010 as a significant cave-in at the troubled 121-year-old San José copper–gold mine. The mine is located in the Atacama Desert about north of the regional capital of Copiapó, in northern Chile.〔 〕 The buried men, who became known as "Los 33" ("The 33"), were trapped underground and about from the mine's entrance via spiraling underground service ramps. The mixed crew of experienced miners and technical support personnel, with less experience working underground, survived for a record 69 days deep underground before their rescue.〔 〕 Previous geological instability at the old mine and a long record of safety violations for the mine's owners had resulted in a series of fines and accidents, including eight deaths, during the dozen years leading up to this accident.〔〔〔(69-day trapped Chilean miners being lifted one by one to safety ), Asian Tribune, Hallstavik, Sweden, By Gopal Ethiraj, 14 October 2004〕 As a result of the mine's notorious history, it was originally thought that the workers had probably not survived the collapse or would starve to death before they were found, if ever. The country of Chile had just endured the 2010 Chile earthquake and its associated tsunami less than six months before the accident. The Chilean people's strong empathy for the workers and their grief-stricken families and the nation's tremendous outpouring of public concern led the national government to take over the faltering search and rescue operation from the mine's financially strapped owners, privately held San Esteban Mining Company. With the significant resources that the state-owned mining company, Codelco, was able to marshal, eight exploratory boreholes were hastily drilled. Seventeen days after the accident, on 22 August, a note written in bold red letters appeared taped to a drill bit when it was pulled to the surface after penetrating an area believed to be accessible to the trapped workers. It read simply ' (English: ''"We are well in the shelter, the 33 of us"''). Chileans demanded that Chile's leaders find a way to bring the trapped workers safely home to their waiting families. Once the rescuers, and the world, knew that the men were alive, Chile implemented a comprehensive plan to both care for the workers during their entrapment and to rescue the miners from the depths. The plan included the deployment of three large, international drilling rig teams, nearly every Chilean government ministry, the expertise of the NASA space agency and more than a dozen multi-national corporations from nearly every continent. After 69 days trapped deep underground, all 33 men were brought safely to the surface on 13 October 2010 by a winching operation that lasted nearly 24 hours. After winching the last trapped miner to the surface, the mine rescue paramedics, the best available drawn from multiple national agencies and military services, all still underground, held up a sign for the TV cameras reading ' (English: "''"Mission accomplished Chile"''), which was seen by a TV and internet audience estimated at more than 1 billion viewers around the world watching the rescue live.〔(Chilean mine rescue watched by millions online ), Canadian Broadcasting Corp., 14 October 2010〕 All 33 miners were rescued, almost all in good medical condition with no long-term physical effects anticipated. Two miners were found to be suffering from silicosis, one of whom also had pneumonia, while others had dental infections and corneal problems. Three of the men underwent immediate surgery under general anesthesia for their dental problems.〔(First Chile miners leave hospital ) – Australian Broadcasting Corporation (15 October 2010) – Retrieved 18 October 2010〕 Private donations covered one-third of the US$20 million cost of the rescue, with the rest coming from the mine owners and the government. Various lawsuits and investigations resulting from the accident were still pending . On 1 August 2013, after a three-year investigation, it ended with no charges filed. ==Background== Chile's long tradition in mining has made the country the world's top producer of copper.〔(Encyclopedia of the Nations ) – CHILE – MINING – Copyright 2010 Advameg, Inc.〕 An average of 34 people per year since 2000 have died in mining accidents in Chile, with a high of 43 in 2008, according to figures from the state regulatory agency (National Geology and Mining Service abbreviated to SERNAGEOMIN). The mine is owned by the San Esteban Mining Company, ( abbreviated to ''CMSE''), a company notorious for operating unsafe mines. According to an official with the non-profit Chilean Safety Association, (, also known as ''ACHS'') eight workers have died at the San José site in the past 12 years〔〔〔(From collapse to rescue: Inside the Chile mine disaster ), Toronto Star, Jennifer Yang, 10 October 2010〕 while CMSE was fined 42 times between 2004 and 2010 for breaching safety regulations. The mine was shut down temporarily in 2007 when relatives of a miner killed in an accident sued the company but the mine reopened in 2008〔 despite non-compliance with regulations, a matter that remains under investigation according to Senator Baldo Prokurica.〔("New video gives tour of trapped miners' refuge" ) – Associated Press writers – Bradley Brooks and Peter Prengaman – with Federico Quilodran in Copiapo, Eduardo Gallardo in Santiago, and Michael Warren in Buenos Aires, Argentina, contributing to this report. The Associated Press, (NBC26.com) 28 August 2010 – Copyright 2010.〕 Due to budget constraints there were only three inspectors for the Atacama Region's 884 mines during the period leading up to the most recent collapse.〔 Prior to the accident, CMSE had ignored warnings over unsafe working conditions in its mines. According to Javier Castillo, secretary of the trade union that represents San José's miners, the company's management operates "without listening to the voice of the workers when they say that there is danger or risk". "Nobody listens to us. Then they say we're right. If they would have believed the workers, we would not be lamenting this now", said Gerardo Núñez, head of the union at a nearby Candelaria Norte mine.〔(Unions Say Mining Becoming More Dangerous in Chile ) Latin American Herald Tribune, 9 August 2010〕 Chilean copper mine workers are among the highest-paid miners in South America. Although the accident has called mine safety in Chile into question, serious incidents at large mines are rare, particularly those owned by the state copper mining company, Codelco or by multinational companies.〔 However, smaller mines such as the one at Copiapó have generally lower safety standards.〔 Wages at the San Jose Mine were around 20% higher than at other Chilean mines due to its poor safety record.〔〔(The Media Circus at Chile's San José Mine ) Spiegel Online, 8 September 2010〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「2010 Copiapó mining accident」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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