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Search on for 65 trapped Mexican miners
(AP)
Updated: 2006-02-21 08:49
Emergency crews using picks, shovels and their hands tunneled feverishly
through dirt, wood, metal and rock on Monday in an attempt to reach 65 coal
miners trapped by a gas explosion 600 feet underground.
A family member of
a miner waits off site after a gas buildup in a coal mine triggered a
pre-dawn explosion Monday Feb. 20, 2006 in the town of San Juan de
Sabinas, Mexico, some135 kilometers (85 miles) southwest of Eagle Pass,
Texas trapping 65 coal miners underground with a limited supply of oxygen.
(AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo) |
Officials said that while it was unlikely the miners were still alive, there
was still a chance of finding survivors.
Above ground, priests and pastors led hundreds of the miners' friends and
relatives in prayer for the men trapped by Sunday morning's explosion at the
Pasta de Conchos mine near the town of San Juan de Sabinas, 85 miles southwest
of Eagle Pass, Texas.
Women wept openly and swayed with their arms in the air as the religious
leaders spoke, and men wiped tears from their eyes.
"We are waiting for a miracle from God," said Norma Vitela, whose trapped
husband, Jose Angel Guzman, had previously told her of problems with gas in the
mine. She said the father of four, who earns $75 a week, could not afford to
quit.
The trapped men had carried only six hours of oxygen, but officials said they
believed a ventilation system that uses huge fans to pump in fresh air and suck
out dangerous gases was still working. Even so, they could not be certain the
precious oxygen was arriving to where the miners were trapped.
Juan Rebolledo, vice president of international affairs for mine owner Grupo
Mexico, said oxygen tanks were scattered throughout the site, but it was
impossible to know if the trapped miners had access to any of them.
More than 35 hours of digging had pushed rescue teams 400 yards into the
mine, about 100 yards from where two conveyor belt operators were believed to be
trapped, said Sergio Robles, director of emergency services for Coahuila state.
But others were thought to be trapped as far as one to three miles from the
mine's entrance.
Robles said rescuers avoided using electric or gas-powered machinery because
of the presence of explosive gases. Medical doctors were on the site to examine
rescue workers as they emerged from their eight-hour shifts in the tunnels.
At least a dozen workers who were near the entrance at the time of the
explosion were able to escape. They were treated for broken bones and burns.
Asked whether he believed there were more survivors, Robles said: "It would
be difficult because of the presence of gas. But we are holding out hope of
finding someone alive."
President Vicente Fox's chief spokesman, Ruben Aguilar, said Monday that the
government "has a lot of hope that everyone will get out alive."
Robles said the roof of the mine was better reinforced after 400 meters,
giving rescuers hope that they might be able to advance more quickly. He said if
there were survivors, they could very well be trying to dig their way out from
the other side.
Worried family members held an all-night vigil at the site, huddling near
bonfires and wrapped in blankets to protect against the bitter cold. Some
pitched tents, while others slept on small cots or upright in plastic chairs.
After the sun rose, entire families with children in tow huddled outside the
mine's gates to wait for the latest news.
"The only thing we want is information and all they tell us is that they
don't know," said a sobbing Yadira Gallegos, whose 28-year-old brother-in-law,
Jesus Martinez, was just finishing his first week at the mine.
"What we want is for them to tell us what is happening and if they have
advanced or not," said Francisco Ordonez, 41, whose 23-year-old brother, Jose
Alfredo Ordonez, and a cousin were still trapped in the mine. "People are
starting to get desperate."
The explosion occurred around 2:30 a.m. Sunday as the miners were in the
middle of their overnight shift.
Consuelo Aguilar, a spokeswoman for the National Miners' Union, said there
had been concern over safety conditions in Grupo Mexico mines. She called for an
investigation into the cause of the accident and the responsibility of company
officials.
Rebolledo said safety conditions met Mexican government requirements as well
as international standards "but accidents can always happen."
He said the union had raised no major disagreements over safety in annual
meetings with the company. Mine administrator Ruben Escudero denied any company
negligence, saying, "These mines can't operate if they don't meet the
established minimum requirements."
Pedro Camarillo, a federal labor official unrelated to Olivia Camarillo, said
officials found nothing unusual during a routine evaluation Feb. 7.
As well as mining coal, Grupo Mexico is the world's third-largest copper
producer, with operations in Mexico, Peru, and the United States.
Coahuila's worst modern mining disaster occurred in 1969, when more than 153
miners were killed in a pit at the village of Barroteran. In 2001, another 12
people died in an accident at a mine near Barroteran.
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