Dust and debris filled the air as lights failed and the sound of shifting rock echoed through the tunnels, trapping miners in darkness.
Some tried to climb to safety, only to find their escape routes blocked.
On 5 August 2010, a section of the San José copper and gold mine in northern Chile gave way, trapping 33 men deep underground.
What began as a local mining accident quickly became one of the world’s most terrifying and tense rescue missions.
Amid the unfolding disaster, a bizarre love triangle took centre stage: both a man’s wife and his mistress arrived at the mine, anxiously awaiting news, as people across Chile and beyond watched on, glued to their screens and holding their breath.
The mine sat in the Atacama Desert, about 45 kilometres north of Copiapó, a region long associated with mining and the dangers that come with it.
The collapse occurred shortly after 2 pm local time, when a block of rock, estimated at more than 700,000 tons, sealed the main passage to the surface.
When it became clear that every exit had been blocked, the men regrouped under the direction of their shift foreman, Luis Urzúa, and made their way to a reinforced refuge chamber about 700 metres below ground.
In August 2010, 33 miners were trapped deep underground when a section of the San José copper and gold mine in northern Chile collapsed
Miner Mario Sepulveda, after he was rescued. The plight of the miners and the rescue mission that followed gripped international headlines
Inside, conditions were far from safe. The air was heavy and stifling, and temperatures hovered around 30 degrees. The men found emergency rations – tins of tuna, biscuits, and small cartons of milk.
But it was clear the supplies would not last long. Water was scarce and had to be collected from industrial tanks and nearby pipes.
Above ground, families began gathering at the mine’s entrance, seeking answers that no one could yet provide.
The company and local authorities launched efforts to locate the men, though early drilling attempts offered little hope.
The tunnels were unstable, and rescuers feared that further collapses could bury the miners beyond reach.
Deep underground, the miners’ radios did not function. They had no idea whether any escape route still existed.
Some tried pressing ahead, crawling through tight tunnels, only to be met with fresh debris. Others sat in the darkness, listening for the sound of shifting rock above, terrified that another collapse could come at any moment.
In the days that followed, efforts above ground were complicated by unstable tunnels and further collapses.
On 7 August, a secondary rockfall blocked one of the ventilation shafts that might otherwise have helped reach the trapped men.
A camera was lowered 700 metres below ground level for the men to speak to their loved ones
Claudio Yazes, one of the trapped men, spoke to the camera after rescuers successfully lowered the camera to them. Before the incident, the mine had a history of safety concerns
A banner showing the pictures and names of all 33 workers trapped in the incident
Drilling plans were hampered by outdated maps of the mine’s layout and by the hardness of the rock that surrounded the entombed miners.
It was known that the mine had a history of safety concerns. Between 2004 and 2010, San José and its parent company had been fined repeatedly for regulatory violations, and there were past accidents, including rock falls and explosions.
In 2007, a fatality had temporarily closed the mine, but it reopened months later under pressure to restore production.
Meanwhile, underground, the men were forced to establish strict routines and rationed food to two spoonfuls of tuna, one biscuit and a sip of milk every other day.
They prayed together and tried to keep hope alive. For 17 intense days, there was no telling whether they were alive or had perished in the collapse.
But August 22 offered the first sign of a miracle – a listening probe had picked up faint tapping.
When the probe was pulled back to the surface, there was a note attached to it, written with red ink that read: ‘We are fine in the shelter, the 33 of us.’
Chile’s president at the time, Sebastian Piñera, who had been a mainstay at the site, triumphantly held up the note as the news of the miners still alive reverberated throughout the world.
He declared: ‘Today all of Chile is crying with excitement and joy.’ A video camera was sent down the probe shaft. It showed some of the miners stripped to their waist due to the underground heat, waving enthusiastically, knowing help was on the way.
Engineers working on the capsule that was used to rescue the miners. The mission encountered many challenges – some experts warned it could take several months
Omar Reygadas fell to his knees in prayer after he finally saw the light of day
The president told reporters: ‘I saw eight or nine of them. They were waving their hands. They got close to the camera, and we could see their eyes, their joy.’
After drilling efforts reached the miners, rescuers began sending down glucose solutions and liquids, then small quantities of solid food through narrow boreholes to supplement their rations.
From then on, the term ‘Los 33’ became a global phenomenon. Spurred on by confirmation of life, the government launched three parallel rescue efforts known as Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C.
Each of them used different rigs and techniques to bore towards the miners. But it was not plain sailing – progress was slow and drill bits broke or veered off course.
It was feared that the rescue mission would take several months.
Eventually, it was Plan B’s Schramm T130XD that proved decisive. On October 9, after nearly two months of drilling, it finally broke through to the miner’s refuge.
The next day, engineers began to widen and stabilise the shaft. They fitted a steel casing to prevent it from collapsing.
Chile’s Navy built the Fenix rescue capsule with input from NASA. It was designed to fit through the 66-centimetre shaft. It had retractable wheels, oxygen supply, communication systems and a reinforced roof to guard against falling rock.
Although the rescue mission had been given new hope, doctors at NASA were quick to warn that there could still be some stumbling blocks.
Dr James Duncan said: ‘It’s important not to build false hopes and it’s also important to be honest with our patients – in this case, with the miners.’
Shortly before midnight on October 12, rescuer Manuel Gonzalez went down to test the shaft.
Other rescue workers waited with bated breath, with all hopes hinged on the outcome of what he would report back.
Yonni Barrios was cheerfully greeted by his girlfriend, Susana Valenzuela. While he was trapped underground, the two women in his life traded barbs
Marta Salinas showed up to the site of the mine with the loved ones of the other miners. She claimed she had no idea about Valenzuela
On October 13 at 9:55pm, foreman Urzúa became the final person to be pulled to safety. He was greeted by president Piñera, who praised his leadership
A few moments later, he radioed back saying: ‘I have reached the miners.’ Shortly after 11pm, Florencio Ávalos began his ascent. When the capsule surfaced, he stepped out to cheers, hugs and tears.
Over the next 24 hours, one by one, the minders were lifted to safety. They were given protective sunglasses to shield their eyes as they had not seen sunlight for 10 weeks.
When Omar Reygadas emerged, he emotionally fell to his knees in prayer.
Mario Sepúlveda, who had kept morale high while they were trapped underground, described the moment he was lifted up. ‘On the way out, it was terrible, terrible,’ he said. ‘I screamed. I just wanted to get out, to see the light.’
The son of Florencio Avalos, seven-year-old Bairon, captured the hearts of the world when pictures showed him anxiously waiting for his father’s arrival with tears in his eyes.
Among the men to emerge from the shaft was Yonni Barrios. While most of the men were greeted with tears of joy, Barrios, who was the 21st man to be pulled up, faced a unique storm.
Waiting on the surface for him were both his wife, Marta Salinas and his mistress, Susana Valenzuela.
Miner Florencio Avalos’ seven-year-old son was emotional as he waited for the arrival of his father following the 10-week ordeal
Jose Ojeda is helped out of the Fenix capsule. Chile’s Navy built the capsule with input from NASA
Mario Sepulveda waved to well-wishers as he was examined by medical personnel
Tensions between the two women were high, adding an unexpected human drama to the momentous rescue.
Unbeknownst to Barrios, his wife had found out about his extramarital affairs, leading to squabbles between the two women.
While Salinas said she had no idea who her husband’s other woman was, Valenzuela also hit back, saying her rival had only married Barrios for his money.
Before Barrios could be pulled up, president Piñera, who had been at the other rescues, fled the scene, claiming he had to accompany his Bolivian counterpart to the airport.
Critics and Barrios himself later suggested the leader did not want to be around the controversial story.
Luckily for Barrios, Salinas gave up the fight and refused to attend his rescue. She said: ‘I am happy because he made it, it’s a miracle of God.
‘But I’m not going to see the rescue. He asked me to, but it turns out that he also asked the other lady, and I am a decent woman.’
In an interview with the Daily Mail in 2015, Darios admitted that while he was still legally married to Salinas at the time of the rescue, he was actually living with Valenzuela.
The oldest miner, Mario Gomez, during an interview for the TV documentary Chilean Miners: 17 Days Buried Alive
Loved ones who had camped at the site burst into cheers when the men were brought to the surface
At 9:55pm on October 13, foreman Urzúa became the final miner to be rescued. He was embraced by Piñera, who had later returned to the scene.
The rescue was hailed as a triumph of engineering and human spirit – but as the celebrations faded, criticism started to grow. Some argued that the government had turned the disaster into a political spectacle.
Others warned that the miners were victims, not heroes, pointing to the corporate failures that led to the incident.
The 33 miners became overnight celebrities. Several interviews with international media outlets were lined up. The government had promised them six months of free healthcare and counselling.
But the miners’ attendance was inconsistent due to international travel, forcing the government to threaten to withdraw the offer.
Although their underground ordeal was over, they were forced to face other traumas, and some quickly found themselves in debt and illness. Two of them were diagnosed with silicosis, while others said they were suffering from chronic anxiety.
Álex Vega told CBS News: ‘Whenever I hear a noise, I get scared… My heart beats faster.
‘I can’t go into small spaces. I’m taking five or six pills a day now. If I don’t take them, I wouldn’t even be able to sit with you.’
Legal and compensation claims dragged on for years; some miners ended up in debt, some spoke publicly of feeling abandoned.
President Piñera was told how they felt like soldiers – heroes during the war and forgotten after peace is restored.
He replied to CBS: ‘Well, that’s part of life. That’s part of human nature.
‘They were heroes. They will always be heroes.’ He added: ‘…each of them have to come back to their normal lives. To their families. Find a new job.’
In 2015, the miners received renewed interest after the film The 33 was released.
Starring Antonio Banderas as Mario Sepúlveda, the movie told the story of both the physical struggles underground and the emotional toll above.
Fifteen years on, the San José mine remains sealed. A small memorial marked with the number 33 stands nearby, where families still leave flowers and flags.
For Chile, the rescue endures as a story of unity and hope. But for the men who lived it, the memories are heavier.
As the applause faded and the cameras were put down, they had to face the harsh realities of the outside world.
This was a reckoning that proved too difficult for some.
