A collapse in a coal mine this Friday in the Mexican state of Coahuila, near the border with Texas, left
at least seven people trapped according to media reports.
"The Ministry of Labor of Coahuila received the report of an accident in a drag mine in this municipality, today around 12:50 hours (17.50 GMT)," the institution said in a statement.
According to preliminary investigations, there are indications that the accident in the town of Ranchería, municipality of Múzquiz, was due to
an overflow and flood in the mine
.
Authorities believe that the heavy rains of the past two days moistened the pit, causing it to collapse at midday and subsequent flooding.
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Miners were at work when the overflow occurred and a section of the mine was flooded.
It is not yet known if there were injuries or deaths
.
So far no one has had contact with the trapped miners.
Members of the National Guard arrive in Múzquiz, Coahuila, after the collapse of a mine that left seven workers trapped;
on June 4, 2021 National Guard
Relatives have come to the place to look for their loved ones and the emergency teams are also there.
Inspectors of Civil Protection and the Ministry of Labor are coordinating rescue efforts and "all the necessary steps," the agency said in a statement.
In images obtained by Noticias Telemundo, the arrival of ambulances and the military that are already guarding the area can be seen, where dozens of civilians have also attended, including several volunteers who came to the area to offer their help.
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Civil Protection engineers introduced
pumps to remove the water from the depth of the mine
.
However, they have so far failed to make them work.
Its objective is to drain the mine so that rescuers can descend and begin their work.
The governor of Coahuila, Miguel Ángel Riquelme, said in an interview with Grupo Fórmula that the miners were about 100 meters deep and that the rescue crews were already working to get them out of there.
"It is estimated that in the early morning we can get to where they are,"
said the governor.
"We hope to find them alive," he
added.
Riquelme said the mine had been closed in October 2020, but was reopened after an inspection.
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For his part, the president of Mexico tweeted on Wednesday night that he had given the instruction to the Ministry of Labor, Civil Protection and the National Guard to support the rescue of the miners.
The accident recalls what happened on February 19, 2006, at the Pasta de Conchos mine, also in Coahuila, where 65 workers died after a collapse and only two bodies were recovered.
The rest of the bodies remain buried, after their rescue was considered high risk.
With information from Efe and Milenio.