Deadly Collapse at Chile’s El Teniente Mine: Rescue Efforts Intensify as Five Workers Remain Trapped

In a press conference on Saturday, officials from Chile’s state-run mining company Codelco confirmed the discovery of one of the five trapped miners in El Teniente, one of the world’s largest copper mines. The worker has been identified as Paulo Marín Tapia, bringing the death toll from Thursday’s mine collapse to two individuals.

Rescue efforts are ongoing to save the remaining four workers who were trapped after a mine shaft collapsed at the El Teniente mine in central Chile’s O’Higgins region. According to Codelco, a 4.3 magnitude earthquake occurred in the area on Thursday, which may have contributed to the collapse and left nine people injured.

Andrés Music, general manager of the mine, expressed sympathy for the families of the trapped miners and the entire mining community. “We are going to keep working with all our strength and hope, but now with greater care,” he said in a statement following the discovery.

Codelco CEO Rubén Alvarado stated on Friday that finding the men alive is crucial within the first 48 hours after the collapse. So far, only four meters of debris have been removed from the mine tunnel, and approximately 20 meters remain before rescue workers can reach where they believe the trapped miners are located.

The incident has led to a halt in operations at El Teniente, which is known as the largest copper deposit in the world. Chilean President Gabriel Boric pledged his government’s full support in finding the missing miners and coordinating necessary rescue efforts on the ground.

As the search continues, family members and fellow miners are growing increasingly anxious. “Hope dies last,” said Edgar Rodrigo Quesada, a miner and former union leader. However, he expressed uncertainty about whether the trapped workers made it to a shelter within the tunnel in time, as it is located far from where the collapse occurred.

The Chilean prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation into the cause of the collapse, while Codelco is also conducting its own investigation. Officials stressed their commitment to rescuing the trapped miners and expressing condolences to the family of Paulo Marín Tapia.