Chile El Teniente Mine Collapse Traps Miners Amid Rescue Efforts

A magnitude 4.2 tremor caused a collapse at Chile's El Teniente copper mine, the world's largest underground copper deposit, trapping five workers and killing one, with nine others injured. Rescue efforts are ongoing but hampered by aftershocks that have sealed off tunnels and cut off communication with the trapped miners. Codelco, the state-run copper giant operating the mine, has halted underground mining operations but continues processing and smelting activities, while deploying remotely operated equipment to clear blockage once conditions stabilize. The incident occurred in the new Andesita unit of the mine, a critical project for Codelco that was expected to begin production earlier this year. Authorities and Codelco are investigating whether the collapse was caused by natural seismic activity or mining operations. The next 48 hours are considered critical in the rescue efforts, with nearly 100 personnel on-site working to reach the trapped workers amid challenging conditions.