Chilean authorities are racing to rescue five workers trapped in El Teniente, one of the world’s largest copper mines, after a Thursday collapse killed one person.
Codelco, the state-run firm that operates the mine, says an earthquake caused the mine shaft where the missing men were working to collapse.
The National Seismological Center of the University of Chile recorded a 4.3 magnitude earthquake in the area around the mine on Thursday. The quake and subsequent collapse also left nine people injured, Codelco said.
Codelco CEO Rubén Alvarado said Friday that “the first 48 hours are fundamental” to finding the men alive. He added that 20 meters (65 feet) of debris in the mine tunnel needed to be removed by rescue workers to reach where they believe the men are trapped. As of Friday, only four meters had been cleared.
El Teniente, in central Chile’s O’Higgins region, is the largest copper deposit in the world, according to data from the company. The incident has forced a halt in operations as rescue workers dig through debris to free the trapped men.
