TRIAL BEGINS OF CENTRAL AFRICAN EX-PRESIDENT BOZIZE OVER WAR CRIMES. (PHOTO).
The bodies of four of the five miners trapped for three days in a collapsed section of one of Chile’s largest copper mines have been recovered and identified, officials confirmed Sunday. Rescue teams at the El Teniente mine, located about 100 kilometers (60 miles) south of Santiago, continue searching for the fifth miner, Moises Pavez, according to mine director Andres Music.
The miners were located using GPS devices, but rescuers had to drill through dozens of meters of rock to reach them. The collapse followed a 4.2 magnitude earthquake on Thursday, which killed one worker and injured nine others. Authorities are investigating whether the quake was natural or possibly triggered by mining activities at El Teniente. Chilean prosecutors have also opened a criminal investigation to determine if safety regulations were breached.
El Teniente, situated in the Andes mountains, is the world’s largest underground copper mine and is operated by the Chilean state-owned company Codelco. After the collapse, Codelco suspended operations in the affected area and evacuated 3,000 workers to safer zones. The company also postponed its planned first-half financial results presentation as rescue efforts continue. Chile, the world’s top copper producer, sits along the seismically active “Ring of Fire” surrounding the Pacific Ocean.
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