The bodies of all 5 miners are found and identified in Chile's El
Teniente mine after collapse
[August 04, 2025]
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — The bodies of all five miners trapped in
a collapsed shaft in the world's biggest underground copper mine for
three days have been found and identified, an official said Sunday.
Aquiles Cubillos, the lead prosecutor in Chile's O'Higgins region, said
the body of Moises Pavez, the last miner to remain missing, was found at
3:30 p.m. local time by rescue teams. They had drilled through dozens of
meters (feet) of rock to reach the stranded workers. |
Aerial view of El Teniente copper mine, operated by Codelco, where a
collapse killed one worker and trapped five others underground, leading
to a suspension of operations in Rancagua Chile, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP
Photo/Esteban Felix, file) |
|
“We deeply regret this outcome” Cubillos said.
The five miners were trapped deep inside Chile's El Teniente
mine on Thursday after a section of the mine collapsed following
a 4.2 magnitude earthquake that instantly killed another miner
and injured nine other workers.
The trapped miners were located by using GPS devices but rescue
teams were not able to communicate with them.
Authorities are investigating whether it was a naturally
occurring earthquake or whether mining activity at El Teniente
caused the tremor. Chilean prosecutors also launched a criminal
investigation to determine whether any safety standards were
violated.
El Teniente, located in the Andes mountains in central Chile, is
the world’s largest underground copper mine and is owned by
Chilean state company Codelco.
Shortly after Thursday’s collapse, Codelco halted operations in
the affected section of the mine and evacuated 3,000 people from
the broader site to safe areas.
The company canceled a presentation of its first-half financial
results, set for Friday morning, due to the rescue efforts.
Chile, the world’s biggest copper producer, lies in the
seismically active “Ring of Fire” that surrounds the shores of
the Pacific Ocean.
In 2010, Chile's government rescued 33 miners trapped in a
copper mine in the country's north for two months in a dramatic
operation that made global headlines and was later depicted in a
Hollywood movie.
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