Tragedy at world's largest copper mine: Miners trapped after collapse
Illustrative photo: miners (Getty Images)
Rescue operations have concluded in Chile following the collapse at El Teniente, the world's largest underground copper mine - all five missing miners have been confirmed dead. The country's authorities have declared three days of national mourning and launched an investigation into the causes of the tragedy, Le Monde reports.
On Sunday, August 3, rescue workers recovered the body of the last of the five miners who went missing after the collapse on August 1. None of them survived.
The collapse occurred on Thursday due to the seismic activity. A commission is currently investigating the cause: whether it was truly a natural event or a consequence of mining operations. All the bodies were found in the same area - at the epicenter of the collapse.
Chairman of the board of Chile's state-owned company Codelco, which owns the El Teniente mine, Máximo Pacheco, promised a thorough investigation to determine all the circumstances of the tragedy.
In turn, Chilean President Gabriel Boric, who visited the site in Rancagua, declared three days of national mourning.
What we know about largest underground copper deposit on planet
El Teniente is the largest underground copper deposit in the world. With 4,500 km of underground tunnels, the mine produces over 350,000 tons of copper annually - around 7% of the country's total copper output. Codelco employs 4,000 people directly and contracts an additional 15,000 through subcontractors.
The mine's operations are currently suspended. The Ministry of Mining has not provided a specific date for resuming production, emphasizing that safety remains the top priority.
Despite its reputation as one of the safest mining industries in the world (with a 2024 fatality rate of just 0.02%), this tragedy is among the most somber in the recent history of Chilean industry.
Earlier, in the Central African Republic, a shooting occurred at a gold mine controlled by the Russian private military company Wagner. According to local residents, more than ten young men were killed due to the accident.
