Chile rescuers find remains of 1 trapped El Teniente miner – DW – 08/03/2025
Chilean state-owned mining firm Codelco said Saturday that the remains of one trapped miner at its El Teniente copper mine had been found.
Over 100 rescuers have been taking part in an operation to find five trapped miners at the site in Rancagua, which is located south of the capital Santiago in central Chile. The El Teniente mine partially collapsed on Thursday after a "seismic event" in the area, with the tremors also killing another person.
Andres Music, El Teniente's general manager, said the discovery of the dead miner "deeply saddens us." Music said Codelco will continue its rescue efforts with "strength and hope."
The identity of the deceased miner has not yet been identified, Codelco said.
Rescue workers are delving as far as 1,200 meters (3,900 feet) to find the trapped miners. Normal mining operations at El Teniente have been suspended amid the search.
Chile's President Gabriel Boric met with the relatives of the trapped miners on Saturday. He maintained that Codelco "has all the resources, experience and technology" to pursue the trapped miners.
"In these difficult hours for the families and loved ones, all efforts are focused on the rescue operations for the five trapped miners," Boric said in a video posted on X. "Our priority is and will continue to be supporting the families, keeping them informed of every development. Chile is with you."
The partial collapse of the El Teniente mine was triggered by a 4.2 magnitude earthquake, which killed one person and injured nine others. It's unclear whether the earthquake was due to natural forces or because of mining activity.
Chile's copper industry is crucial for its economy and government revenues, with the South American nation serving as the world's biggest copper producer.
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Chile mine collapse: Search ends after 5 miners found dead – DW – 08/04/2025
The rescue team dug several feet underground to retrieve the bodies of the miners who got trapped after a partial collapse of the El Teniente copper mine in Chile. The body of the fifth and last missing miner was found on Sunday, days after the collapse of a tunnel at the world's largest copper mine in Chile. "Today we finally found [dead] the last of the missing workers," Aquiles Cubillos, prosecutor for Chile's O'Higgins region, told reporters. Rescuers dug two dozen meters (78 feet) of underground passages to retrieve the body of the miners. On Thursday, a part of the El Teniente copper mine collapsed after a 4.2 magnitude tremor, which initially killed one person and injured nine others. Following the tremors and the partial collapse of the El Teniente tunnel, which trapped five mine workers, operations were suspended at the tunnel. It is still unknown whether the tremor was due to a natural quake or because of mining activity. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A team of 100 rescue workers tried to search for the missing miners. State-run mining firm Codelco, which operates the tunnels, discovered the first trapped worker on Saturday and the other four on Sunday. Codelco Chairman Maximo Pacheco said the miner would convene international experts to probe and determine "what we did wrong." "This tragedy hits us hard," Pacheco told reporters at Codelco's offices in the city of Rancagua, near the mine in central Chile. Chile's mining industry is one of the safest in the world, with a fatality rate of 0.02% last year, according to the National Geology and Mining Service of Chile.
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Chile rescuers find remains of 1 trapped El Teniente miner – DW – 08/03/2025
At least 100 rescuers are still looking for miners who are trapped in the partially collapsed mine in Rancagua, south of Chile's capital Santiago. The disaster came after a "seismic event" in the area. Chilean state-owned mining firm Codelco said Saturday that the remains of one trapped miner at its El Teniente copper mine had been found. Over 100 rescuers have been taking part in an operation to find five trapped miners at the site in Rancagua, which is located south of the capital Santiago in central Chile. The El Teniente mine partially collapsed on Thursday after a "seismic event" in the area, with the tremors also killing another person. Andres Music, El Teniente's general manager, said the discovery of the dead miner "deeply saddens us." Music said Codelco will continue its rescue efforts with "strength and hope." The identity of the deceased miner has not yet been identified, Codelco said. Rescue workers are delving as far as 1,200 meters (3,900 feet) to find the trapped miners. Normal mining operations at El Teniente have been suspended amid the search. Chile's President Gabriel Boric met with the relatives of the trapped miners on Saturday. He maintained that Codelco "has all the resources, experience and technology" to pursue the trapped miners. "In these difficult hours for the families and loved ones, all efforts are focused on the rescue operations for the five trapped miners," Boric said in a video posted on X. "Our priority is and will continue to be supporting the families, keeping them informed of every development. Chile is with you." The partial collapse of the El Teniente mine was triggered by a 4.2 magnitude earthquake, which killed one person and injured nine others. It's unclear whether the earthquake was due to natural forces or because of mining activity. Chile's copper industry is crucial for its economy and government revenues, with the South American nation serving as the world's biggest copper producer.
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