Up to 11 Mexican miners trapped in coal mine after collapse
Reuters
August 4, 2022 10:39 MYT
August 4, 2022 10:39 MYT
The relative of a miner wipes the tears from her eyes while waiting for information outside the premises of a coal mine which collapsed leaving miners trapped, in Sabinas, in Coahuila state, Mexico, August 3, 2022 - REUTERS/Antonio Ojeda
MEXICO CITY: Mexican authorities were working on Wednesday to rescue a group of miners trapped in a coal mine in the state of Coahuila after it collapsed, Coahuila State Secretary Fernando Donato de Las Fuentes said in an interview on national television.
Donato said as many as 11 miners were trapped.
The mine is located in the Sabinas municipality, and local media showed footage of family members asking for information about the miners outside the premises.
The coal mine started operations in January and has not received any complaints, the Labor Ministry said in a statement.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said earlier on Twitter that nine miners were "likely" trapped in the mine.
"I hope we find them safe," Lopez Obrador said, adding that the collapse of the mine had caused a flood inside.
One miner had managed to get out, Coahuila Governor Miguel Riquelme said.
Some 92 soldiers arrived at the scene, as well as specialists and rescue dogs, the president said.