The 1945 El Teniente mining accident, known locally as the Smoke Tragedy ( es, La tragedía del humo), is the largest

mining accident A mining accident is an accident that occurs during the process of mining minerals or metals. Thousands of miners die from mining accidents each year, especially from underground coal mining, although accidents also occur in hard rock mining. C ...

in metal extraction in the

history of Chile The territory of Chile has been populated since at least 3000 BC. By the 16th century, Spanish conquistadors began to colonize the region of present-day Chile, and the territory was a colony between 1540 and 1818, when it gained independence from ...

and, as of 2005, worldwide. It happened on June 19, 1945, in

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

El Teniente El Teniente ("The Lieutenant") is an underground copper mine located in the Chilean Andes, above mean sea level. It is in the commune of Machalí in Cachapoal Province, Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins Region, near the company town of ...

mine in the Andes, which belonged to

Braden Copper Company Braden Copper Company was an American company that controlled the El Teniente copper mine in Chile until 1967 when its copper holdings were nationalized. History Braden Copper Company was founded on 18 June 1904 by E.W. Nash, Barton Sewell, Willia ...

, a subsidiary of

Kennecott Copper Corporation Kennicott or Kennecott may refer to: * Kennecott, Alaska, an abandoned mining camp, United States * Benjamin Kennicott (1718-1783), English churchman and Hebrew scholar * Robert Kennicott (1835-1866), American naturalist and pioneer Alaska explorer ...

, both of the United States. A total of 355 men died, largely because of a nearby fire whose smoke trapped the workers in tunnels and resulted in

carbon monoxide poisoning Carbon monoxide poisoning typically occurs from breathing in carbon monoxide (CO) at excessive levels. Symptoms are often described as "flu-like" and commonly include headache, dizziness, weakness, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. Large e ...

. Another 747 men were injured by the smoke.''Emol,'' June 20, 2005
''"La Tragedia del Humo":'' A 60 años del peor accidente minero en Chile
(in Spanish)

Description

Nearly 1,000 workers were underground in the pits on June 19, 1945, when a fire started at a nearby warehouse near "Teniente C" pike. It spread to oil drums and burned fiercely. Thick smoke was drawn into the pike and spread through the tunnels of the mine. The ventilation systems did not work adequately, and the smoke obscured the exits. Men near the pike were able to escape, but most of the others sought refuge in security corridors or at the bottom of the pikes. Emergency exits were improperly marked, hindering the escape of many until too late. Men began to succumb to

because of the smoke, which left them unconscious. Some 355 miners died; another 747 were injured. Although the external fire was brought under control by that evening, rescue workers could not enter the tunnels until noon the next day. Rescuers spent 3 days trying to free the miners, but found hundreds already dead. A mass was celebrated for the miners at the nearby camp in Sewell on June 20. The government declared three days of mourning, and businesses and schools closed in response to the national tragedy. Flags throughout the country were flown at half mast. The Mining Superintendent issued a report on the accident in the months afterward.

Legacy

As there was no cemetery at Sewell, the company town on the mountain, all of the miners' bodies were taken to

Rancagua Rancagua () is a city and commune in central Chile and part of the Rancagua conurbation. It is the capital of the Cachapoal Province and of the O'Higgins Region, located south of the national capital of Santiago. It was originally named Santa ...

in the valley for burial. In addition to compensating the families of the workers financially, Kennecott developed a community here, known as ''Las Viudas Population'' (The Widows Community), to provide housing for the many widows and their families. The workers were buried in graves marked by gravestones of the same design. (See image). The disaster resulted in the adoption in Chile of occupational safety systems already in use in the US and Europe. In addition, their Congress passed legislation to reduce the independence of the company, and the Work Accident Law to support worker safety. The government established the Department of Mining Safety, stressing more communication with miners. El Teniente made such improvements to its operation that the mine won the international security award for 14 consecutive years.

References

Mining disasters in Chile 1945 mining disasters 1945 in Chile Labor in Chile 1945 disasters in Chile {{disaster-stub