A day marked by tragedy was experienced at the Andesita Project of the El Teniente mine, after a seismic event caused the collapse of a subway structure. As a result, a worker identified as Paulo Marín Tapia, belonging to the contractor Salfa Montajes, lost his life while working inside the deposit.
The emergence of the Andesite Project
Immediately after the incident was detected, which occurred at around 5:34 p.m., all operations in the affected area were suspended. Codelco activated its Emergency Committee, mobilizing human and technical resources to deal with the situation and notify the competent authorities. The state-owned company also initiated an investigation to clarify the causes of the collapse.
Currently, nine workers have various injuries, but are not life-threatening. The search for five missing persons continues, with specialized rescue teams operating without interruption in the subway mine.
The Andesita Project is part of the development works of the El Teniente Division, one of the most relevant operations in the copper mining industry. copper mining in Chile. in Chile. This incident puts the focus back on the operational risks in areas of high seismic activity and the need to strengthen mining safety protocols.
Codelco has provided direct support to the families of those affected and support to the work teams involved. The company reiterated its commitment to the safety of its workers and transparency in the provision of information on the development of the emergency.
Source and photo: Codelco
