The relatives of the ten miners trapped underground in northeastern Mexico were beginning to lose hope, watching - for the second night in a row - near the three coal shafts which collapsed on Wednesday August 3 under the pressure of a flood.
During the night from Thursday to Friday, a hundred of them were waiting near the scene of the tragedy, cordoned off by the security forces to allow the work of the relief workers, noted an AFP team in the locality of Sabinas (State of Coahuila).
"We don't lose hope"
"
We have been here since two o'clock yesterday (Wednesday)
," said Jesus Ronaldo Mireles Romo, 24, as he awaits news from his father, José Luis, 47.
"
I have faith that everything will be fine
," he said, stifling a sob.
His mother, Claudia Romo, says relief workers must lower the water level before entering the three coal pits, which authorities say are 60 meters deep.
"
Every minute that passes, hope decreases
," she adds about her ex-husband.
“
We have been separated for seven years.
But he is the father of my children.
It's painful
”.
“
We feel helpless
,” she concludes.
“
We are not losing hope.
It is God who has the last word
”.
Angelica Montelongo has a sad and tired face after having already spent a night waiting for news from her brother Jaime: “
We want them to take the bodies out
”.
“
You have to have faith and believe that they are still alive
,” she corrects herself a few seconds later.
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Blasa Maribel Navarro is also awaiting a sign of life from her nephew Sergio Cruz, 41.
He had been working at the mine for barely two months.
“
We trust God
,” she sighs, between two reflections on the risks of mining jobs.
Every minute counts "
to be able to save minors as soon as possible
," said the national civil protection coordinator, Laura Velázquez, on Thursday morning.
“
I want with all my soul that we save the minors
”, added the President of the Republic Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
“
We must not lose faith
”.
Five miners have already managed to get out.
Two of them were able to leave the hospital.
Artisanal and dangerous mine
On the spot, the government announced the dispatch of 260 rescuers from different corps (army, navy, national guard).
They try to suck the water with eight submersible pumps in the three flooded wells, connected between them.
The accident occurred around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, when the miners found while digging an area full of water whose collapse "
caused a flood
", said civil protection.
This is a very dangerous artisanal mine for miners.
“
The miners dig a shaft two meters in diameter, and continue to dig until they find coal
,” metallurgical engineer Guillermo Iglesias told local radio.
This type of infrastructure does not protect workers from collapses, unlike the protections that exist in an industrial mine, he added.
The state of Coahuila, which produces 99% of Mexico's coal, is used to mining tragedies.
In June 2021, seven miners died after a mine collapsed in the Múzquiz area.
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An accident remains engraved in the memories: 65 miners died on February 19, 2006 during the explosion of a pocket of gas in the Pasta de Conchos mine controlled by the Grupo México conglomerate.
Sixteen years later, 63 of the 65 bodies are still lying at the bottom of the mine.
Families have been "
demanding measures
" against accidents for 16 years "
and their appeals have not been heard
", lamented the Society of Jesus, which says the Jesuits accompany families in their demand for justice before the authorities. international.
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