SANTIAGO: The world’s largest underground copper mine, El Teniente, is set to restart operations following a deadly cave-in that halted production for over a week.
Chile’s Mining Ministry suspended activities at the mine on August 1 after a seismic event triggered a tunnel collapse, trapping five miners.
Rescuers later recovered the bodies of all five workers.
Authorities are still investigating whether the collapse resulted from an earthquake or drilling operations.
State-owned Codelco, which operates the mine, confirmed normal operations would resume on Sunday.
Chile remains the top global copper producer, supplying nearly a quarter of the world’s demand with 5.3 million metric tonnes in 2024.
El Teniente alone contributed 356,000 metric tonnes, accounting for seven percent of Chile’s total copper output.
Copper is essential for electrical wiring, motors, and renewable energy technologies.
Despite the tragedy, Chile’s mining sector maintains one of the world’s lowest fatality rates at 0.02 percent in 2024, according to official data. – AFP
