Mexico: Authorities give up hope of rescuing trapped miners in Coahuila

Mexican authorities outlined a time-bound plan yesterday Monday 11 months old to locate and retrieve the bodies of ten workers that were trapped in mine coal in the state of Coahuila in early August, indirectly admitting that it already has all hope is lost that these people can be brought back alive.

The transition of the business to the recovery phase corpses it was announced more than a month after the collapse and flooding of its galleries mine El Pinabete. After the disaster, rescue crews made desperate efforts 24 hours a day to draw the waters from the galleries so they could enter and rescue the trapped workers. In vain.

Manuel Bartlett, head of public electricity utility CFE, said yesterday during a visit to coal minethat a plan is being put in place to open an open-pit mine to retrieve the bodies.

“We have received a clear mandate from the president (…) to immediately begin the open-pit mine method to locate and retrieve the corpses of workers who lost their lives,” summarized Mr. Bartlett.

Last Sunday, the Attorney General of Mexico said that at its request, arrest warrants were issued for three people accused of “allowing illegal activities” at the El Pinabete mine, reports the Athens News Agency.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador had hinted at a change of phase in the operation, from a simple rescue effort to recovering the bodies of the victims, on August 28 when he referred to a plan being drawn up to “retrieve the bodies”.

Mr. Bartlett and Director of Civil Protection Laura Velasquez met with the wives of the workers. According to Mrs. Velaskes, the women “agree” with the plan. Mr López Obrador promised last week that the miners’ families would receive compensation from the state, stressing that most live in poverty.

In a press release released yesterday, the CFE said that in order to recover the victims, 5.6 million would have to be removed cubic meters of material. The open pit mine will be 450 meters long, wide 320 meters and a depth of 60 meters. The project will be carried out in six phases and will last 11 months.

The state of Coahuila, where most of the coal is mined in the Mexico, has experienced a series of fatal mining accidents over the years. The worst was recorded on February 19, 2006, when 65 miners lost their lives due to a gas explosion in Pasta de Conchos.