The Argentine government has made it compulsory for vehicles entering mines to be equipped with GPS devices, according to AFP.

The mandate also applies to areas covered by a bilateral treaty with Chile in 1997 where Argentinean miners may be working.

The news comes two weeks after 33 Chilean miners were rescued from a collapsed mine. They had no GPS devices and no nearby vehicles equipped with GPS devices that could have helped pinpoint their location more quickly and accurately.

The government says installing GPS devices on vehicles will help improve worker safety standards and improve care of the underground environment.

GPS is used by many firms for real time monitoring of surface excavation machinery in open cut mines, while laser total stations and scanners can adapt the technology to provide precise positioning services underground.