The 2010 CopiapÃ mining accident was a mining accident that happened on August 5 , 2010 , when the copper-gold mine of San JosÃ , located near CopiapÃ , Chile , collapsed . The 2010 CopiapÃ mining accident , also known as the `` Chilean mining accident '' or `` Los 33 '' , began on 5 August 2010 as a large cave-in at the San JosÃ copper -- gold mine in the Atacama Desert about 45 k north of CopiapÃ , in northern Chile , South America .