Five Miners Trapped and Dead After Chilean Mine Collapse
On July 31st, A magnitude 4.2 earthquake hit Chile’s El Teniente mine, killing workers Gonzalo Núñez Caroca, Álex Araya Acevedo, Carlos Arancibia Valenzuela, Jean Miranda Ibaceta, and Moisés Pavez Armijo.
Just after 5:30, the mine collapsed instantly killing one miner, injuring nine, and trapping five others. Rescue teams were able to locate the workers trapped under 65 feet of debris using GPS technology, but were unable to communicate with them. El Teniente, located in the Andes Mountains, is the largest underground copper mine in the world and is owned by Codelco, or The National Copper Corporation of Chile. Chile is the world’s biggest copper producer, but it also lies within the Pacific “ring of fire”, a seismically active tectonic belt.
In a press conference, the general manager of El Teniente, Andrés Music, stated, “We are making every effort to try to rescue these five miners”. Music also noted that “There’s no possibility of even radio communication.” Music also mentioned that there were approximately 100 rescue workers at El Teniente.
Codelco CEO, Rubén Alvarado, spoke in a Sunday press conference, mourning the tragic loss of the six dead and thanked the workers for their effort: “With great sadness, we wish to convey our condolences to the loved ones of [the] six miners who have lost their lives. I also thank those who were present: authorities, workers, and the community who have supported us throughout this process.” Music also joined in on expressing gratitude, saying, “From day one, we committed to doing everything humanly possible. It wasn’t the outcome I expected, but we managed to reach them and bring them back with the respect and dignity they deserve.”
Codelco also announced that it would launch an investigation into the incident, saying, “We will commission an international audit with the best experts to determine what we did wrong. We owe it to the workers’ families, to those who work at Codelco, and to all of Chile,”
Chilean President Gabriel Boric also spoke out about the tragedy, declaring a three-day mourning period and expressing his condolences to the victims’ families. He would also add that “[he] will closely monitor the investigation to ensure clear answers are provided regarding the causes and responsibilities for this unfortunate incident.”
This was a sad week for Chile, as many families lost loved ones in the tragic mine collapse. Many continue to look for information from the investigations into the incident regarding whether safety standards were violated or the cause of the tremors.