Six Dead After Quake Triggers Collapse at Chile’s El Teniente Mine

Five workers trapped in Chile’s El Teniente mine after a 4.2-magnitude quake have been found dead, raising the death toll to six. Operations are suspended as investigations continue.

All five workers who were trapped in a copper mine in Chile have been confirmed dead, according to a regional prosecutor, following an intensive rescue operation that cleared more than 24 metres (78 feet) of collapsed underground passages caused by a strong earthquake last week.

Aquiles Cubillos, the prosecutor for Chile’s O’Higgins region, announced on Sunday that the body of the fifth and final trapped worker had been located at the El Teniente copper mine.

Over 100 personnel had participated in the search operation at the El Teniente mine, located in Rancagua, approximately 100 kilometers (62 miles) south of the capital, Santiago. It is the world’s largest underground copper mine. “We deeply regret this outcome,” said Cubillos.

The recovery of the final worker brings the total death toll from the incident to six, including one individual who died at the time of the collapse on Thursday evening.

Chile’s state-owned mining company, Codelco, which operates the mine, reported that the first of the trapped workers was found on Saturday, while three more were discovered on Sunday. The company has not yet issued a statement regarding the discovery of the final victim.

At the time of the collapse, the miners had been working more than 900 metres underground. One colleague was killed instantly, and operations at the site were immediately suspended. Specialized equipment had been used to accurately determine the location of the trapped miners.

On Saturday, Chile’s Minister for Mining, Aurora Williams, officially announced a temporary suspension of all activity at the El Teniente mine.

The mine has been operational since the early 1900s and features more than 4,500 kilometers (about 2,800 miles) of underground tunnels. Last year alone, El Teniente produced 356,000 tonnes of copper, accounting for nearly 7 percent of Chile’s total copper output.

Authorities stated that the collapse occurred following a “seismic event” on Thursday afternoon. The precise cause—whether natural or triggered by mining activity—remains under investigation. The tremor was recorded at a magnitude of 4.2.

“This is one of the biggest events, if not the biggest, that the El Teniente deposit has experienced in decades,” said the mine’s general manager, Andres Music, in a statement.

The rescue team included some of the same personnel who were involved in the 2010 high-profile operation that successfully rescued 33 miners trapped for more than two months in the Atacama Desert, an event that garnered global attention.

Chile remains the world’s largest copper producer, contributing nearly one-quarter of the global supply with about 5.3 million tonnes produced in 2024. Despite the inherent risks, the country’s mining industry is considered among the safest in the world, with a reported death rate of just 0.02 percent last year, according to Chile’s National Geology and Mining Service.

Chile also lies within the Pacific Ocean’s “Ring of Fire,” a region known for its high seismic activity.