03-08-2025
Death toll hits 6 at Chilean mine collapse as rescue efforts end
Codelco recovered the bodies of all five missing workers caught in a tunnel collapse at one of the world's biggest underground copper mines in central Chile.
'It was a night of mourning for the families, for Codelco, for mining and for Chile,' Mary Carmen Lano, the company's head of human resources, told reporters on Sunday.
The update brings the official death toll to six after another person was confirmed dead in the immediate aftermath of
Thursday's incident . The state-owned miner is grappling with a human tragedy at its El Teniente mine south of Santiago, which is also fanning concerns for global copper supply.
Codelco, the world's biggest copper supplier, halted mining at the site after a collapse triggered by seismic activity at a new section of the complex, called Andesita. It is the latest setback for Codelco's efforts to recover from a years-long output slump, with investments marked by long delays and cost overruns.
A 100-person team – including some of those who helped free 33 workers trapped in another Chilean mine in 2010 – had been working on the El Teniente rescue effort, which has since been halted.
The 120-year-old El Teniente mine is crucial for Codelco's aim to return to pre-pandemic production levels of about 1.7 million tons a year from about 1.4 million tons now. Codelco delayed reporting quarterly results, including production guidance, on Friday as it deals with the accident.
