The 2010 Copiapó mining accident began Process_start as a cave-in on 5 August 2010 at the San José copper-gold mine in the Atacama Desert near Copiapó , Chile .

The 2010 Copiapó mining accident Catastrophe , also known then as the `` Chilean mining accident Catastrophe '' , began Process_start on Thursday , 5 August 2010 with a cave-in at the San José copper–gold mine , located in the Atacama Desert north of the regional capital of Copiapó , in northern Chile .