Aerial view of El Teniente copper mine, operated by Codelco, the place a collapse killed one employee and trapped 5 others underground, resulting in a suspension of operations in Rancagua Chile.
Esteban Felix/AP
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Esteban Felix/AP
BOGOTA, Colombia — The our bodies of all 5 miners trapped in a collapsed shaft on the planet’s largest underground copper mine for 3 days have been discovered and recognized, an official mentioned Sunday.
Aquiles Cubillos, the lead prosecutor in Chile’s O’Higgins area, mentioned the physique of Moises Pavez, the final miner to stay lacking, was discovered at 3:30 p.m. native time by rescue groups. That they had drilled by way of dozens of meters (toes) of rock to succeed in the stranded employees.
“We deeply regret this outcome” Cubillos mentioned.
The 5 miners have been trapped deep inside Chile’s El Teniente mine on Thursday after a piece of the mine collapsed following a 4.2 magnitude earthquake that immediately killed one other miner and injured 9 different employees.
The trapped miners have been positioned through the use of GPS units however rescue groups weren’t in a position to talk with them.
Authorities are investigating whether or not it was a naturally occurring earthquake or whether or not mining exercise at El Teniente brought on the tremor. Chilean prosecutors additionally launched a prison investigation to find out whether or not any security requirements have been violated.
El Teniente, positioned within the Andes mountains in central Chile, is the world’s largest underground copper mine and is owned by Chilean state firm Codelco.
Shortly after Thursday’s collapse, Codelco halted operations within the affected part of the mine and evacuated 3,000 folks from the broader website to protected areas.
The corporate canceled a presentation of its first-half monetary outcomes, set for Friday morning, because of the rescue efforts.
Chile, the world’s largest copper producer, lies within the seismically lively “Ring of Fire” that surrounds the shores of the Pacific Ocean.
In 2010, Chile’s authorities rescued 33 miners trapped in a copper mine within the nation’s north for 2 months in a dramatic operation that made world headlines and was later depicted in a Hollywood film.
