Mexico: sudden rise in the water level in the flooded mine where ten miners are trapped
Volunteers drain water in the flooded coal mine, where the miners are trapped, in Coahuila state, Mexico.
But the water level rose sharply on Sunday August 14th.
AP - Alfredo Lara
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
A "sudden rise in water levels" occurred Sunday August 14 in a flooded mine where 10 people are trapped in northern Mexico, which could complicate the rescue operation.
This was announced by the authorities.
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According to the authorities, the miners were carrying out excavation work on August 3 when they broke through a water table.
The accident at the El Pinabete mine, located in the state of Coahuila, Mexico's main coal producer, is the latest in a series of accidents in the region, often caused by poor safety conditions.
►Also read:
Mexico: rescuers are working to rescue the ten trapped minors
This Sunday, August 14, the water level in well No. 2, which had stood at 70 cm until Friday and could allow emergency access, now reaches 12.92 m, the authorities pointed out in a statement, adding that "
engineers are assessing the situation on site and the reasons for this sudden rise in the water level
".
At wells 3 and 4, the water reached 15.5 m and 12.5 m respectively, an increase of 8 to 10 m compared to the levels recorded on Friday, according to the press release.
“
Engineers will put in place a new strategy capable of allowing the evacuation of water from the El Pinabete mine
,” assured the authorities.
Hard hit for families
This news nevertheless represents a particularly hard blow for the families of the miners who fear that the delays in the rescue will endanger their loved ones.
The National Relief Coordinator and head of the operation, Laura Velázquez, hastened to assure the families in a press release that “
the trapped minors will not be abandoned
”.
🗞#Boletín: "Que a los familiares les quede claro que no los vamos a abandonar, ni a ellos ni a los mineros atrapados. Compartimos la angustia que ellos sufren, y sepan que no estamos escatimando ningún recurso..” @laualzua
Consulta el complete communication: https://t.co/QsjvZGI9Ac pic.twitter.com/uQluy4e2ax
— Protection Civil México (@CNPC_MX) August 14, 2022
The emergency services are doing their best in "
exceptional conditions
", she explained, stressing that the El Pinabete mine was close to that of Conchas Norte, abandoned about thirty years ago, a period in which "
its level of water has become very high
".
Mexican authorities announced on Friday that the "
conditions
" had been met for rescuers to enter the flooded mine, in search of 10 missing miners.
Thanks to the incessant pumping, the water level was lowered to 70 centimeters in one of the three wells among which the emergency services had to try to penetrate, whereas it was 30 meters the day after the accident, on 3 August, Defense Secretary Luis Cresencio Sandoval said.
On Wednesday, a diver had entered one of the wells, but had been unable to advance because he had encountered "
obstacles to be able to enter the galleries
", according to the governor of the state of Coahuila, Miguel Riquelme.
Several hundred people are taking part in the rescue, in particular with an underwater drone, to save the miners whose relatives are increasingly worried as time goes by.
(
With
AFP)
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