Rescue teams recover the bodies of five miners trapped in Chile following a copper mine collapse.
In a tragic incident at the El Teniente copper mine in Chile, all five workers who had become trapped following a significant earthquake last week have been found deceased. Regional prosecutor Aquiles Cubillo reported the recovery of the last worker’s body on Sunday, marking a somber conclusion to a harrowing search operation that engaged over 100 individuals.
The El Teniente mine, recognized as the world’s largest underground copper mine, is located near Rancagua, approximately 100 kilometers (62 miles) south of Santiago. The disaster occurred when a collapse, triggered by a seismic event measuring 4.2 in magnitude, took place on Thursday evening at a depth exceeding 900 meters. The collapse tragically claimed the life of one miner at the time of the incident.
Chile’s state-owned mining company, Codelco, was pivotal in locating the first trapped worker on Saturday, with three additional miners found on Sunday. Codelco has yet to issue statements regarding the conditions surrounding the final worker’s recovery. In light of the incident, Mining Minister Aurora Williams announced a temporary halt to all activities at the mine.
El Teniente has a long and rich operational history, dating back to the early 1900s, and features an extensive network of more than 4,500 kilometers (approximately 2,800 miles) of underground tunnels. Last year, the mine was responsible for the production of approximately 356,000 tonnes of copper, equating to nearly 7% of Chile’s total output.
This recent cave-in marks one of the most significant events the El Teniente mine has encountered in decades. The search and rescue team was composed of specialized personnel who were also involved in the highly publicized rescue of 33 miners trapped in the Atacama Desert for over two months in 2010, a remarkable endeavor that garnered global media attention.
Chile holds the distinction of being the world’s foremost copper producer, contributing nearly a quarter of the global supply, with an estimated production of 5.3 million tonnes in 2024. The nation is recognized for its commitment to mining safety, boasting a notably low death rate of 0.02 percent in the previous year, as reported by the National Geology and Mining Service of Chile. As part of the seismically active “Ring of Fire,” concerns surrounding earthquakes remain a critical focus within the mining sector.
As the investigation into the precise causes of the cave-in continues, the loss of life serves as a stark reminder of the inherent risks faced by workers in some of the world’s most demanding labor environments.
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