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20 February, 2006The accident occurred in the early hours of Sunday and is thought to have been caused by a build-up of firedamp gas at the bottom of the mine.
MEXICO: Around 65 miners are trapped inside a coal mine near the town of San Juan de Sabinas, in the north of Coahuila state, after an explosion occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The explosion occurred at about two o clock in the morning in the Grupo Mexico Pasta de Conchos mine (number 8). It is thought the explosion may have been caused by firedamp gas at the bottom of the mine. The explosion caused rockfalls that blocked the workers' way out.
By Sunday evening, only seven miners had been rescued and the situation of the other miners was unknown.
The seven rescued miners were taken to the Mexican Social Security Institute hospital, with burns of varying degrees.
Rescue teams were working around the clock to get to the trapped miners, trapped at a distance of between two and five kilometres from the mine entrance.
The army, police force and medical emergency services are at the scene in a joint operation to rescue the miners. They said the miners only had enough oxygen for six hours when the explosion occurred and the authorities do not know whether they have access to other supplies.
Juan Rebolledo, Grupo México's vice president for international affairs said oxygen tanks are located at various parts of the mine but that he did not know whether the miners would be able to reach them.
The miners are members of Mexico's Miners and Metalworkers' Union, an IMF affiliate. Union officials went to the scene of the disaster to provide support for the miners and their families, while the IMF's Regional Director for Latin America travelled to Mexico to assist the union and meet with the IMF National Council in Mexico to coordinate solidarity for the affected miners.
The explosion occurred at about two o clock in the morning in the Grupo Mexico Pasta de Conchos mine (number 8). It is thought the explosion may have been caused by firedamp gas at the bottom of the mine. The explosion caused rockfalls that blocked the workers' way out.
By Sunday evening, only seven miners had been rescued and the situation of the other miners was unknown.
The seven rescued miners were taken to the Mexican Social Security Institute hospital, with burns of varying degrees.
Rescue teams were working around the clock to get to the trapped miners, trapped at a distance of between two and five kilometres from the mine entrance.
The army, police force and medical emergency services are at the scene in a joint operation to rescue the miners. They said the miners only had enough oxygen for six hours when the explosion occurred and the authorities do not know whether they have access to other supplies.
Juan Rebolledo, Grupo México's vice president for international affairs said oxygen tanks are located at various parts of the mine but that he did not know whether the miners would be able to reach them.
The miners are members of Mexico's Miners and Metalworkers' Union, an IMF affiliate. Union officials went to the scene of the disaster to provide support for the miners and their families, while the IMF's Regional Director for Latin America travelled to Mexico to assist the union and meet with the IMF National Council in Mexico to coordinate solidarity for the affected miners.