More than 100 people had been involved in the search for workers at the El Teniente copper mine, also known as the Chilean Mine, the world’s largest underground mine. It is located in Rancagua, about 100km south of Santiago. According to Al Jazeera, there have been a total of six confirmed deaths from the catastrophe so far.
world’s copper, with about 5.3 million tonnes in 2024. BBC News states rescuers in Chile have found the body of the last of five workers who had been trapped in the world’s largest underground copper mine after an earthquake on Thursday. The announcement was made by regional prosecutor Aquiles Cubillos, who said the focus now was on a criminal investigation into the incident at El Teniente mine. It is also run by the state-owned Codelco company.
According to the National Geology and Mining Service of Chile, the mines in Chile were one of the safest, with a death rate of 0.02%, but an earthquake made the mine collapse on August 2nd, 2025. The reason was said to be caused by a “seismic event” near the area, leading to a 4.2 magnitude earthquake where the mine was located.
“It is one of the biggest events, if not the largest of them all, that the El Teniente deposit has experienced in decades,” Andres Music, the mine’s general manager, said in a statement. The five miners were trapped deep inside the mine on Thursday after a section of the mine collapsed following a 4.2 magnitude earthquake that instantly killed another miner and injured nine other workers. “We share the anguish this situation causes their families and the entire community,” Codelco said. He has so far named two of the victims – Paulo Marín and Gonzalo Núñez Caroca – but said the others were yet to be identified “by the relevant authorities”.
Additionally, according to National Public Radio (NPR), authorities are investigating whether it was a naturally occurring earthquake or whether the mining activity at El Teniente caused the earthquake. Chilean prosecutors also launched a criminal investigation to determine if any safety standards were violated that were related to the injuries and deaths. This tragedy has not only shaken Chile’s mining industry but also underscored the profound human and environmental risks that can accompany resource extraction, prompting urgent calls for accountability and stronger safety measures.