Rescue workers in Chile find the body of one of 5 miners trapped in a copper mine

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Rescue teams found a body inside a section of a Chilean copper mine that collapsed two days earlier during a moderate earthquake, the mine’s director said Saturday.

Rescuers have been trying to reach five miners who were trapped Thursday evening in the El Teniente mine in central Chile as rocks collapsed around them during a 4.2 magnitude quake. The copper mine is one of Chile’s largest.

A spokesman for the rescue team that is trying to drill through 90 meters (295 feet) of rock to reach the miners said the body found on Saturday is one of the five miners who were trapped in the mine. El Teniente Director Andres Music said authorities were still trying to identify the body.

The body of another miner — not one of the five still trapped — identified as Paulo Marin Tapia was found Friday, shortly after the mine’s partial collapse.

Nine other mine workers suffered injuries, said Chile’s National Copper Corp., known as Codelco, describing the incident as a result of “a seismic event.”

Rescue workers in Chile find the body of one of 5 miners trapped in a copper mine | iNFOnews.ca
A worker stands inside an office of Codelco, the company that operates the El Teniente copper mine, where a cave-in killed one worker and trapped five others underground, halting operations in Rancagua, Chile, Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
Rescue workers in Chile find the body of one of 5 miners trapped in a copper mine | iNFOnews.ca
Aerial view of El Teniente copper mine, operated by Codelco, where a collapse killed one worker and trapped five others underground, leading to a suspension of operations in Rancagua Chile, Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
Rescue workers in Chile find the body of one of 5 miners trapped in a copper mine | iNFOnews.ca
Relatives of a missing miner embrace in front of the offices of Codelco, operators of El Teniente copper mine where a cave-in killed one worker and trapped five others underground, halting operations in Rancagua, Chile, Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
Rescue workers in Chile find the body of one of 5 miners trapped in a copper mine | iNFOnews.ca
A person lights a candle during a vigil in front of El Teniente copper mine, operated by Codelco, where a cave-in killed one worker and trapped five others underground, halting operations in Rancagua, Chile, Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

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