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 on Saturday, as rescuers continued their search for survivors.
The collapse took place on Thursday at the El Teniente mine in Rancagua, 100km south of Santiago, after 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. The rescue team is trying to drill through 90 metres of rock to reach the miners.
“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’s 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.
An aerial view of the El Teniente copper mine, operated by Codelco. Photograph: Esteban Félix/AP
Chile’s 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.
The body of another miner – not one of the five trapped – identified as Paulo Marin Tapia was found on Friday, shortly after the mine’s partial collapse.
Work has been suspended at El Teniente, which began operating in the early 1900s and boasts more than 4,500km of underground tunnels.
Last year, the site produced 356,000 metric tonnes of copper – nearly 7% of the total for Chile.
Chile is the world’s largest copper producer, responsible for nearly a quarter of global supply with about 5.3m metric tonnes in 2024.
The metal is critical for wiring, motors and renewable energy technology.
With Associated Press