One of the 33 Chilean miners who spent 69 days trapped in the mine in 2010 died.

Santiago. Mario Nicolas GomezThe oldest miner was among the 33 rescued from the mine Saint Josephin the north ChiliIn 2010, he died on Saturday in the northern city of Copiapo, the funeral home said.

Gómez Heredia, 76, was dependent on an oxygen tank and was hospitalized in 2018 for pulmonary fibrosis, local media reported. During an interview with local newspaper La Tercera, he said his reliance on oxygen was related to problems with his lungs related to his work in the mine.

At the time, at the age of 63, Gómez Heredia was the oldest of 33 miners who had been trapped for 69 days at a depth of 700 meters in the San Jose mine, located 800 kilometers north of Santiago. The miners were rescued in a televised event during the first government Sebastian PineraIt is followed by millions of people all over the world.

After their rescue in 2010, the 33 miners became national heroes and international figures, with books and films published about their story.

The funeral of Gómez Heredia will take place on Monday in Copiapo, according to Candelaria's funeral.