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The collapse
At approximately 2:00 pm a cave-in occurred at the San Jose mine following warnings of disturbances earlier in the day. The mine, opened in 1889, had been the site of numerous earlier accidents, including an explosion in 2007 that killed three miners. Little was done to improve conditions before the mine was reauthorized for continued excavation by Chile’s National Geology and Mining Service (Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería; Sernageomin) in 2008. Inside the mine at the time of the collapse were 33 workers; 32 were Chilean and one was Bolivian. Most were miners, though several subcontracted workers were also trapped. The mine, which spiraled into the depths of a mountain, was approximately 2,625 feet (800 metres) deep.