Chile’s El Teniente Copper Mine Collapse Claims Six Lives

All five miners trapped in last week’s collapse at Chile’s El Teniente copper mine have been found dead, state-run mining giant Codelco confirmed on Sunday, bringing the total death toll to six. One worker died during the initial accident on Thursday evening, which was triggered by a powerful tremor equivalent to a 4.2-magnitude quake. It remains unclear whether the tremor was caused by natural seismic activity or mining operations.

Codelco Chairman Maximo Pacheco said the company will bring in international experts to investigate the cause and identify “what we did wrong.” President Gabriel Boric has declared three days of national mourning. The victims, aged 29 to 34, were employed by excavation contractor Gardilcic.

Located in the Andes Mountains about 75 kilometers southeast of Santiago, El Teniente is the world’s largest underground copper deposit and a cornerstone of Chile’s mining industry, producing 356,000 metric tons of copper in 2024. Chile supplies roughly a quarter of the world’s copper, vital for industries from construction to electronics.

Rescue operations were delayed until aftershocks subsided on Friday evening. Over the weekend, around 100 rescuers cleared 25.5 meters of passages in the mine’s Andesita section, removing 3,270 metric tons of debris with remotely operated heavy machinery. The first trapped miner was located on Saturday, and the remaining four were recovered on Sunday.

Outside the mine, grieving relatives and community members placed candles, Chilean flags, and photographs of the victims at a makeshift memorial. Mining Minister Aurora Williams said operations will remain suspended until the Labor Ministry and mining regulator Sernageomin deem it safe to resume.

This tragedy underscores the risks of deep-underground mining in one of the world’s most seismically active countries, raising fresh questions about safety protocols in Chile’s vital copper sector.