In central Chile, a contingent of approximately 100 rescue officials are on a mission to locate five miners who have gone missing after an earth tremor triggered a partial collapse of the El Teniente copper mine on Thursday. The quake, measuring 4.2 on the Richter scale, led to the death of one colleague and entrapment of the rest. As of the latest update on Friday, the rescue team has advanced 4 meters towards the miners but still has a significant 16 meters to traverse. Communication with the miners remains unestablished.
El Teniente, known as the world’s largest underground copper mine, is situated in Rancagua, within the Andes Mountains, roughly 100 kilometers south of the capital, Santiago. The mine, operational since the early 1900s, boasts over 4,500 kilometers of underground tunnels and produced 356,000 metric tons of copper last year, accounting for nearly 7% of Chile’s total production.
Maximo Pacheco, Codelco’s president, reassured the public of the company’s commitment to the rescue efforts, emphasizing that all resources and expertise will be employed to bring this situation to a successful conclusion. The incident at El Teniente, part of Chile’s mining sector notorious for its safety standards, highlights the risks involved despite its overall safety record. Chile’s mining industry, particularly copper production, plays a crucial role in the global market, contributing nearly a quarter of the world’s copper supply.
Source: https://www.dw.com/en/chile-race-against-time-to-rescue-el-teniente-miners/a-73504544?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf
