Drama is unfolding in the northern border state of Coahuila, Mexico as rescuers work against the clock to save 10 miners trapped underground. The miners became trapped in a coal mine on Wednesday (August 4) when their excavation work caused the walls to collapse. The tunnel flooded, trapping the miners underground waiting to be rescued.
According to Reuters, officials are waiting for water levels to recede before divers can safely enter the tunnel to carry out a rescue operation. This includes the Coahuila Governor Miguel Riquelme who fears risking more lives if the operation is rushed.
Tensions are rising as relatives of the trapped miners have held vigil at the site of the mine flooding. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador visited the site and left the families wanting more from their leader.
“He just told us that he was with us, he greeted us, and he left,” Ana Leticia Moreno Leija, whose brother Jose Rogelio is inside the mine, told La Jornada. “That is not enough, we expected it to bring large machinery that would dig elsewhere to get rid of the water. It took about five minutes. There are large pumps there, and they have not been inserted, we do not know why.”
Time is crucial in these situations and the Mexican government has signaled that they are making the rescue of the miners its top priority. Yet, others at the site holding out hope for the rescue of their relatives aren’t convinced.
Six divers from the Mexican Special Forces are at the site delivering aid as the world watches.
This is a developing story and REMEZCLA will offer updates as they become available.
