SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Two men died after an explosion at a small mine in the Chilean desert, local authorities said on Monday, near the site were 33 miners were pulled from the depths in a months-long rescue that attracted world attention.

The National Emergency Office said the men died after an explosion triggered a cave-in at the mine, located about 40 miles east of the city of Copiapo.

Five other men were able to escape the explosion with one of them later hospitalized for injuries.

The stunning rescue of 33 miners trapped for 69 days deep down a copper and gold deposit in the Atacama desert captured the world’s attention with millions of viewers tuning in to watch the operation in mid-October.

The men are treated like celebrities in Chile and have been flown to Europe and the United States to appear on television shows like the “Late Show with David Letterman.”