Chile's Codelco finds remains of second miner trapped in El Teniente collapse

Chilean copper miner Codelco announced that it has discovered the remains of one of five miners trapped in its El Teniente mine, raising the death toll from a collapse caused by a strong tremor on July 31 to two.

The identity of the second victim still awaits confirmation from authorities. One other miner was reported dead at the time of the accident, which occurred in the Andesita section of the mine, Reuters reports. 

"This discovery fills us with sadness, but it also tells us that we are in the right place, that the strategy we followed led us to them,” Andres Music, general manager of El Teniente, said in a statement.

Music added that Codelco would continue its efforts with "strength and hope," while exercising increased caution that might slow progress.

He did not provide further details on how the worker’s remains were recovered or update on the efforts to reach the other trapped miners.

Earlier on August 1, Music reported that Codelco had cleared just over 20% of the blocked underground tunnels necessary to reach the trapped workers but had not yet made contact with them.

Rescue teams are employing heavy machinery and aim to advance about 15 to 20 meters (49 to 65.6 feet) every 24 hours, although exact timing remains unpredictable.

The accident occurred around 5:30 p.m. local time on July 31, triggered by one of the largest tremors ever recorded at El Teniente—a 4.2 magnitude quake.

Codelco is investigating whether the collapse was caused by mining activity or natural tectonic shifts in the earthquake-prone country.

By Sabina Mammadli