Chile Mine Collapse Claims Four Lives: Rescue Efforts Continue at El Teniente

 

A helmet with the names of the miners trapped in the El Teniente mine complex during a candlelight vigil at the Andesita unit, outside Codelco's offices in Rancagua, Chile

A tragic collapse at Codelco’s El Teniente copper mine has resulted in the confirmed deaths of four out of five workers trapped underground following a powerful tremor on Thursday evening. The incident occurred in the Andesita section of the mine, located about 75 kilometers southeast of Santiago, and is one of the strongest seismic events ever recorded at the site.

Rescue teams have been working tirelessly to clear blocked passages and reach the trapped miners. As of Sunday, crews had uncovered 24 meters of debris out of the estimated 90 meters needed to access the collapsed area. The bodies of the four miners were discovered between Saturday and Sunday morning, while one worker remains missing.

The collapse was triggered by a magnitude 4.2 earthquake, though investigations are ongoing to determine whether mining activity may have contributed to the disaster. Codelco, Chile’s state-owned copper producer, has suspended all operations at the mine and evacuated over 3,000 personnel from the site.

“We worked overnight with the utmost care, looking meter by meter,” said El Teniente general manager Andrés Music. “I also don’t want to create false hopes. Let’s hope our rescue workers continue to make progress”.

Chile’s President Gabriel Boric visited the families of the victims and pledged full support for the ongoing rescue and investigation efforts.

El Teniente, the world’s largest underground copper mine, has been in operation since 1905 and produced 356,000 metric tonnes of copper in 2024. The tragedy has reignited concerns about safety in Chile’s mining sector, which—despite its reputation for rigorous standards—remains vulnerable to seismic risks.