Rescuers recover bodies of four Chilean miners who were trapped in collapse
Rescue workers at the El Teniente mine, about 60 miles south of the capital Santiago, are still looking for the fifth miner, identified as Moises Pavez, mine director Andres Music said.
The trapped miners were located thanks to GPS devices, but rescue workers had to drill through dozens of yards of rock to reach them.
A section of the mine collapsed after a 4.2 magnitude quake on Thursday, killing one worker and injuring nine others.
Authorities are investigating whether it was a natural earthquake or whether mining activity at El Teniente caused the tremor.
Chilean prosecutors also launched a criminal investigation to determine whether any safety standards were violated.
El Teniente, in the Andes mountains in central Chile, is the world's largest underground copper mine and is owned by Chilean state company Codelco.
Shortly after Thursday's collapse, Codelco halted operations at the affected section of the mine and evacuated 3,000 people from the wider site to safe areas.
The company cancelled a presentation of its first-half financial results, set for Friday morning, due to the rescue efforts.
Chile, the world's largest copper producer, lies in the seismically active Ring of Fire that surrounds the shores of the Pacific Ocean.
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Rescuers recover body of trapped worker at Chile copper mine
One of five miners trapped after a partial collapse at the world's largest underground copper mine has been found dead, Chile's state-owned Codelco group announced Saturday. The collapse took place Thursday at the El Teniente mine in Rancagua, 100 kilometers (62 miles) south of Santiago, following a "seismic event." It was not yet known whether the tremor was natural or caused by drilling. At least 100 people were participating in the rescue operation for the workers, who had been extending the mine to a depth of 1,200 meters (3,900 feet). "As part of the search operation, human remains were found and have yet to be identified by the authorities," Codelco said in a statement. El Teniente general manager Andres Music said the discovery of the miner's remains "deeply saddens us, but it also tells us that we are in the right place" to find the other missing workers. Thursday's magnitude 4.2 quake resulted in an initial toll of one dead and nine injured. President Gabriel Boric visited miners' relatives on Saturday and vowed to "complete the search." "Codelco has all the resources, experience and technology to carry out" the search, he said. Work has been suspended at El Teniente, which began operating in the early 1900s and boasts more than 4,500 kilometers (2,800 miles) of underground tunnels. Last year, the site produced 356,000 metric tonnes (over 392,000 tons) of copper -- nearly seven percent of the total for Chile. Chile is the world's largest copper producer, responsible for nearly a quarter of global supply with about 5.3 million metric tonnes (5.8 million tons) in 2024. The metal is critical for wiring, motors and renewable energy technology. pa/dg/cls/lpt/acb/aks
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Chile mine collapse: Search ends after 5 miners found dead
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BOGOTA, Colombia — The bodies of four out of five miners trapped in a collapsed section of one of Chile's biggest copper mines for three days have been found and identified, an official said Sunday. Rescue workers at the El Teniente mine, about 60 miles south of the capital Santiago, are still looking for the fifth miner, identified as Moises Pavez, mine director Andres Music said. The trapped miners were located thanks to GPS devices, but rescue workers had to drill through dozens of feet of rock to reach them. A section of the mine collapsed following a 4.2 magnitude quake on Thursday, killing one worker and injuring nine others. Authorities are investigating whether it was a naturally occurring earthquake or whether mining activity at El Teniente caused the tremor. Chilean prosecutors also launched a criminal investigation to determine whether any safety standards were violated. El Teniente, located in the Andes mountains in central Chile, is the world's largest underground copper mine and is owned by Chilean state company Codelco. Shortly after Thursday's collapse, Codelco halted operations at the affected section of the copper mine and evacuated 3,000 people from the wider site to safe areas. The company canceled a presentation of its first-half financial results, set for Friday morning, due to the rescue efforts.
