Mexico: More flooding complicates effort to rescue trapped miners
Several hundred rescuers are trying to save 10 workers trapped for days after a coal mine collapsed in northern Mexico.
Published On 15 Aug 2022
Renewed flooding has complicated efforts to rescue 10 miners trapped for more than a week in a coal mine in Mexico’s northern Coahuila state, authorities said.
A sudden jump in water levels at El Pinabete mine on Monday deepened the despair of relatives, who are increasingly frustrated with the slow pace of the operation.
The water in the shaft that rescuers hope to enter was around 38 metres (125 feet) deep on Monday, compared with 1.3 metres (4.2 feet) early on Sunday, Civil Defence National Coordinator Laura Velazquez said.
A rescue team was preparing to descend into one of the mine shafts on Sunday when the water flooded back, Velazquez said during a government news conference.
SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES
Several hundred rescuers are trying to save 10 workers trapped for days after a coal mine collapsed in northern Mexico.
Concepcion Cruz, a relative of one of the miners trapped in a coal mine in Mexico's Coahuila state, crosses a current of water extracted from the mine on August 15, 2022
[Daniel Becerril/Reuters]
Published On 15 Aug 2022
Renewed flooding has complicated efforts to rescue 10 miners trapped for more than a week in a coal mine in Mexico’s northern Coahuila state, authorities said.
A sudden jump in water levels at El Pinabete mine on Monday deepened the despair of relatives, who are increasingly frustrated with the slow pace of the operation.
The water in the shaft that rescuers hope to enter was around 38 metres (125 feet) deep on Monday, compared with 1.3 metres (4.2 feet) early on Sunday, Civil Defence National Coordinator Laura Velazquez said.
A rescue team was preparing to descend into one of the mine shafts on Sunday when the water flooded back, Velazquez said during a government news conference.
(Al Jazeera)
“This sudden entry forced us to stop the whole entry plan,” Velazquez told reporters, adding that a video camera lowered into the shaft revealed debris of pipes and cables floating in the “extremely murky water”.
Engineers now plan to seal off the Pinabete and Conchas Norte mines from one another while continuing to pump water out of Pinabete, she said.
The miners became confined underground at the Pinabete mine in Sabinas, in Coahuila state, on August 3 when their excavation work led a tunnel wall to collapse and unleashed flooding.
Five miners managed to escape following the initial incident, but there have been no signs of life from the others.
Several hundred rescuers, including soldiers and military scuba divers, are taking part in the rescue efforts. “We’re not going to stop working to rescue the miners,” Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told reporters.
But relatives of the missing workers over the weekend voiced growing desperation and distrust in the handling of the rescue operation. They also called for the mine owners to be held responsible.
“This is a crime that cannot go unpunished,” Magdalena Montelongo told reporters, adding that the miners had to work in “very bad conditions”.
Maria Guadalupe Cabriales, the sister of trapped miner Margarito Cabriales, said outside the mine that the delays in the rescue effort had worn down her optimism.
“They’re going to take longer to get my brother out,” she told the Reuters news agency. “What hope do we have left?”
“This sudden entry forced us to stop the whole entry plan,” Velazquez told reporters, adding that a video camera lowered into the shaft revealed debris of pipes and cables floating in the “extremely murky water”.
Engineers now plan to seal off the Pinabete and Conchas Norte mines from one another while continuing to pump water out of Pinabete, she said.
The miners became confined underground at the Pinabete mine in Sabinas, in Coahuila state, on August 3 when their excavation work led a tunnel wall to collapse and unleashed flooding.
Five miners managed to escape following the initial incident, but there have been no signs of life from the others.
Several hundred rescuers, including soldiers and military scuba divers, are taking part in the rescue efforts. “We’re not going to stop working to rescue the miners,” Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told reporters.
But relatives of the missing workers over the weekend voiced growing desperation and distrust in the handling of the rescue operation. They also called for the mine owners to be held responsible.
“This is a crime that cannot go unpunished,” Magdalena Montelongo told reporters, adding that the miners had to work in “very bad conditions”.
Maria Guadalupe Cabriales, the sister of trapped miner Margarito Cabriales, said outside the mine that the delays in the rescue effort had worn down her optimism.
“They’re going to take longer to get my brother out,” she told the Reuters news agency. “What hope do we have left?”
A soldier stands guard in the area of the collapsed coal mine, in Sabinas, Coahuila state, Mexico [Daniel Becerril/Reuters]
SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES
Mexico prepares new plan for trapped miners after setback
A picture of trapped Mexican miner Jaime Montelongo is seen on an altar in Agujita, Coahuila.
A rescuer works with a hose at a flooded mine in northern Mexico where 10 workers have been trapped for more than a week.
(Photo: AFP/Pedro Pardo)
16 Aug 2022
AGUJITA: Mexican authorities announced on Monday (Aug 15) a plan to seal leaks into a coal mine where 10 workers have been trapped for more than a week, after renewed flooding dealt a major setback to rescue efforts.
A sudden jump in water levels in the El Pinabete mine in the northern state of Coahuila deepened the despair of relatives, who are increasingly frustrated with the slow pace of the operation.
The water in the shaft that rescuers hope to enter was around 38 metres deep on Monday, compared with 1.3 metres early on Sunday, civil defense national coordinator Laura Velazquez said.
The current level is even higher than in the initial aftermath of the Aug 3 accident, despite non-stop efforts to pump out water, according to figures given by the government.
The new strategy is intended to prevent more water from entering El Pinabete from the much bigger, abandoned Conchas Norte mine nearby, Velazquez said.
The plan is to drill 20 holes 60 metres deep into the Conchas Norte mine and inject cement into them to seal the leaks, Velazquez said.
Authorities believe the workers accidentally pierced a hole in a wall between the two mines, causing El Pinabete to flood.
"We're not going to stop working to rescue the miners," President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told reporters.
Five miners managed to escape following the initial accident, but there have been no signs of life from the others.
Several hundred rescuers, including soldiers and military scuba divers, are taking part in the rescue efforts.
The focus so far has been on pumping water out of El Pinabete and removing wood and other debris from the vertical shafts so rescuers can enter the main tunnels.
On Friday authorities had said they were finally in a position to begin searching the mine, but those hopes soon faded.
Over the weekend, relatives of the missing workers voiced growing desperation and distrust in the handling of the rescue operation.
They also called for the mine owners to be held responsible.
"This is a crime that cannot go unpunished," Magdalena Montelongo told reporters, adding that the miners had to work in "very bad conditions".
Accidents are common in Coahuila, Mexico's main coal-producing region.
The worst was an explosion that claimed 65 lives at the Pasta de Conchos mine in 2006.
AGUJITA: Mexican authorities announced on Monday (Aug 15) a plan to seal leaks into a coal mine where 10 workers have been trapped for more than a week, after renewed flooding dealt a major setback to rescue efforts.
A sudden jump in water levels in the El Pinabete mine in the northern state of Coahuila deepened the despair of relatives, who are increasingly frustrated with the slow pace of the operation.
The water in the shaft that rescuers hope to enter was around 38 metres deep on Monday, compared with 1.3 metres early on Sunday, civil defense national coordinator Laura Velazquez said.
The current level is even higher than in the initial aftermath of the Aug 3 accident, despite non-stop efforts to pump out water, according to figures given by the government.
The new strategy is intended to prevent more water from entering El Pinabete from the much bigger, abandoned Conchas Norte mine nearby, Velazquez said.
The plan is to drill 20 holes 60 metres deep into the Conchas Norte mine and inject cement into them to seal the leaks, Velazquez said.
Authorities believe the workers accidentally pierced a hole in a wall between the two mines, causing El Pinabete to flood.
"We're not going to stop working to rescue the miners," President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told reporters.
Five miners managed to escape following the initial accident, but there have been no signs of life from the others.
Several hundred rescuers, including soldiers and military scuba divers, are taking part in the rescue efforts.
The focus so far has been on pumping water out of El Pinabete and removing wood and other debris from the vertical shafts so rescuers can enter the main tunnels.
On Friday authorities had said they were finally in a position to begin searching the mine, but those hopes soon faded.
Over the weekend, relatives of the missing workers voiced growing desperation and distrust in the handling of the rescue operation.
They also called for the mine owners to be held responsible.
"This is a crime that cannot go unpunished," Magdalena Montelongo told reporters, adding that the miners had to work in "very bad conditions".
Accidents are common in Coahuila, Mexico's main coal-producing region.
The worst was an explosion that claimed 65 lives at the Pasta de Conchos mine in 2006.
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