Two workers killed after northern Chile mine blast

Two workers killed after northern Chile mine blast

2010-11-09 10:35:45 GMT+7 (ICT)

COPIAPO, CHILE (BNO NEWS) -- Two miners were killed after a blast at a copper mine near Copiapó, Chile, three months after 33 miners were trapped in a nearby mine, officials said on Monday.

Daniel Lazcano, 24, and Homero Aguirre, 40, were identified as the deceased workers after the accident. Another worker was injured but he is reported as stable.

The explosion took place at about 1:30 p.m. local time in the interior of the mine but the causes of the blast have not been clearly identified. In the beginning, rescue teams believed that the miners were trapped but alive, just like in the San Jose mine incident, but this theory was later ruled out.

Mauricio Silva Alcayaga, 21, was injured during the incident and was the sole survivor. He was rushed to the Copiapó Hospital after he sustained a serious injury in one of his eyes. Rescuers believe that the workers were handling explosive materials when the blast occurred.

The Los Reyes mine belongs to the Sociedad Legal Compañía Minera Del Sur enterprise which focus on the extraction of copper from the small deposits of the region. Authorities are investigating the incident to determine the responsible individuals of the accident.

The incident took place about three months after 33 miners were trapped following a blast at the San Jose mine. The rescue was worldwide known due to the difficulty and the several weeks that the workers had to spend underground until they were released.

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