5 August 2010, 33 miners were trapped underground in the San Jose copper-gold mine located in the Atacama Desert just 45 km north of Copiapo, Chile when the mine they were in caved in. Chile has had a long tradition for mining which made it the top producer of copper in the world. All 33 miners were discovered alive in 22nd August 2010 and a 2 month rescue operation began on 30 August with the drilling processed completed on 9 October 2010.The rescue operation coincided with the bicentennial anniversary of the establishment of an independent Chilean government which was the first in an eight year long process that led to the eventual independence of Chile from Spain.