By SANTIAGO, Aug. 2 (AfrikTimes) – Chilean copper miner Codelco has discovered the remains of one of five trapped miners at its flagship El Teniente mine, the company said on Saturday, bringing the death toll from a collapse caused by a strong tremor on Thursday to two people.
The identity of the second victim has yet to be confirmed by authorities. One other person was reported dead on Thursday at the time of the accident, which occurred in the Andesita section of the mine.
“This discovery fills us with sadness, but it also tells us that we are in the right place—that the strategy we followed led us to them,” said Andrés Music, general manager of El Teniente, in a statement.
He added that Codelco would continue its rescue efforts “with strength and hope,” but acknowledged that increased caution could slow progress.
Codelco’s El Teniente mine and processing plant near Rancagua, Chile.
Earlier in the day, Music said Codelco had cleared just over a fifth of the blocked underground tunnels needed to reach the trapped workers, but had not yet made contact with them. Rescue teams were using heavy machinery, and hoped to proceed at a rate of about 15 to 20 meters (49 to 65.6 feet) every 24 hours, he said, but the exact timing would be unpredictable.
The accident, which took place around 5:30 p.m. local time on Thursday, was caused by one of the strongest tremors ever recorded at El Teniente, with the impact of a 4.2 magnitude quake.
Codelco is investigating whether the tremor was caused by mining activity or natural tectonic shifts in the earthquake-prone region.
