A mudslide left two workers trapped inside a pickup truck in the El Rajo sector of Codelco's El Teniente Division, in the O'Higgins Region. The incident occurred on the afternoon of Sunday, October 11.
According to BioBioChile, the slide occurred near ADIT 42, an entrance to the mine. The affected workers are employed by AURA, which provides services at the mining site.
Three people were traveling in the pickup truck. According to preliminary information, one of them managed to escape. Codelco reported that the worker was rescued and taken to a medical facility. His condition has not yet been reported.
The state-owned company reported that it had located the other two workers and that efforts to rescue them had begun, according to T13. Codelco attributed the mudslide to weather conditions that have affected the country's central region.
Police confirmed that emergency teams were heading to the site and that rescue protocols had already been activated. Codelco said it immediately activated its protocols to protect the safety of the three workers.
At the time of publication, the identities of those affected and the technical details of the slide were unknown. It was also unclear how long the rescue might take.
El Teniente, located in the mountains of the O'Higgins Region, is one of Codelco's main divisions. The El Rajo sector is the part of the mine that operates as an open pit.
The emergency is ongoing. Codelco and police are expected to provide new information on the rescue of the two workers in the coming hours.
