Miners Trapped Half a Kilometer Underground. Rescue Operation Across the Ocean

Reuters

Rescue operation at Chilean mine after earthquake

The earthquake that struck Chile caused a shaft collapse in the world's largest underground copper mine. Five miners remain trapped 500 meters underground. Their location is known thanks to special devices, but there is no contact with the men. Efforts are underway to save their lives. "We will do everything in our power," assured the Chilean president.

Thursday's magnitude 4.3 earthquake in Chile caused a shaft collapse at the El Teniente copper mine in the O'Higgins region in central Chile. The University of Chile's National Seismological Center also recorded a series of aftershocks that continued into Friday.

Chile. Miners trapped in a mine. Their whereabouts are known, but there is no contact.

The quake killed one miner and injured nine . Five people are still underground. Over 100 people are participating in the rescue operation . In recent hours, they have managed to get within four meters of the buried miners, but there is still 16 meters to cover.

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The miners are approximately half a kilometer underground. Their location is known because they have geolocation devices , but no contact has been made. Mine director Andrés Music ruled out on Friday that the accident was caused by any explosives. "We are making every effort to rescue these workers," he assured, as quoted by CNN.

Codelco has already initiated an investigation into the matter. The exact circumstances of the accident and whether all safety procedures were followed are to be investigated. On Friday, Chilean President Gabriel Boric announced that he had dispatched the Minister of Mining to the site.

The rescue operation at the copper mine is the largest of its kind in the world.

"From the very beginning, the government has devoted all its resources and efforts to the search for the five workers. I have instructed the Minister of Mining, Aurora Williams, to come to the site and coordinate all necessary field activities. We will do everything in our power to find them," President Boric stated on Platform X.

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El Teniente is the largest underground copper mine in the world, with tunnels totaling over 4,500 km. Last year, it produced 356,000 tons of copper, representing 6.7% of Chile's total copper production.