Miner Dies Amongst Five Trapped in Chile's El Teniente Mine
In a heartbreaking turn of events, the rescue efforts at Chile's El Teniente mine, the world's largest underground copper deposit, have come to a tragic end. All five miners trapped by a landslide and earthquake have been found deceased.
The search, which began after a seismic event triggered a partial tunnel collapse, was carried out by a team of about 100 specialists, many of whom have experience in mining operations. This includes those who successfully rescued 33 miners trapped in a mine in the Atacama desert in 2010.
The discovery of the deceased workers marks Chile’s deadliest mining accident in recent years. Codelco, the state-owned company managing the site, has suspended all mining activities as they conduct a thorough investigation with international experts to determine the exact cause of the collapse and assess safety protocols.
The incident is expected to prompt updates to seismic monitoring, ground support standards, and emergency response procedures. No definite timeline has been provided for when mining will resume, but analysts estimate reopening could take months.
The accident resulted in the death of two workers and left nine injured, most of whom have already been discharged. President Gabriel Boric visited the families of the miners and promised not to spare any efforts in the rescue operation.
Chile's mining industry is one of the safest in the world, with a mortality rate in the sector reaching 0.02% last year, according to the National Geology and Mining Service. Despite this, the El Teniente mine has been closed since Friday due to an order issued by the Ministry of Mining to facilitate the search.
The CEO of Codelco, André Music, has confirmed the discovery of the remains and expressed sadness. Human remains have been found, but they need to be identified by the authorities. Rescue teams have used heavy machinery to clear 20 of the 90 meters needed to reach the area where the trapped workers are believed to be.
As the investigation continues, Codelco Chairman Maximo Pacheco has committed to investigating possible supervisory or operational failures. Laurence Golborne, who was the Minister of Mining of Chile when the accident occurred 15 years ago, has been added as an advisor.
Boric affirmed that Codelco has the resources, experience, and technology to carry out the search. The general manager of the mine did not provide details on how Codelco recovered the worker's remains or their progress in reaching the trapped workers.
El Teniente accounts for about a quarter of Codelco's output and is critical to recovering pre-pandemic production levels. The collapse has significant implications for Chile’s copper supply and Codelco’s operational goals.
Our thoughts are with the families and friends of those affected by this tragic incident. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as more information becomes available.
In this period of mourning, the rescue teams have temporarily suspended their efforts to locate survivors and are now focusing on identifying the remains of the deceased workers. Despite the nation's high safety standards in the mining industry, the tragedy at El Teniente mine serves as a stark reminder of the inherent risks in sports such as mining, where the stakes are equally high.
