Crisis at El Teniente: Tragedy Strikes World's Largest Copper Mine
On Thursday, a 4.2 magnitude tremor struck Codelco's El Teniente mine, trapping five workers and leaving one dead. The Chilean copper giant suspended mining operations to prioritize rescue efforts and delayed reporting its financial results. The incident raises concerns about the mine's safety and future production capacity.
A seismic event has halted operations at Codelco's El Teniente mine, the world's largest underground copper deposit, where five workers remain trapped. Thursday's 4.2 magnitude tremor also claimed one life at the Andesita unit. Rescue teams are racing against time to free the workers stuck in collapsed tunnels.
In response to the disaster, Codelco suspended mining while continuing processes like smelting, and delayed the release of its quarterly results. Manager Andres Music announced the deployment of robots or drones to clear blocked tunnel exits once tremors subside, emphasizing that communication lines are currently down.
As the company grapples with production challenges, the impact of this disaster on future output remains uncertain. Government officials are urging all operations to cease pending investigations. Meanwhile, worker safety protocols come under scrutiny, with Chile's mining regulator highlighting prior safety violations at Codelco sites.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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