Copper mine collapse, 1 killed 5 trapped
A collapse at a copper mine in Chile killed one worker and left five trapped underground, authorities said on Friday, forcing Chile’s state mining company to suspend operations in the affected area of the world’s largest underground copper deposit.
Nine other mine workers suffered injuries, said Chile’s National Copper Corporation, known as Codelco, describing the incident as the result of “a seismic event.”
The U.S. Geological Survey reported a magnitude 5 earthquake in an area of central Chile where Codelco’s El Teniente mine is located, at 5:34 p.m. local time on Thursday. Authorities said they’re still investigating whether it was a naturally occurring earthquake or whether mining activity at El Teniente caused the quake.
“We are making every effort to try to rescue these five miners,” said Andrés Music, general manager of El Teniente. “The next 48 hours are crucial.”
Source – The Associated Press
Praying for these people to be rescued. -Victoria