**Codelco Suspends Contracts at El Teniente Mine After Fatal Collapse**
**Meta Description:** Codelco halts contracts at El Teniente copper mine following a deadly collapse, seeking approval to reopen affected areas.
**URL Slug:** codelco-el-teniente-mine-collapse
**Codelco Suspends Contracts at El Teniente Mine After Fatal Collapse**
Codelco, Chile’s state-owned copper mining company, has announced the suspension of contracts with third-party workers at its El Teniente mine until at least August 13. This decision comes in the wake of a tragic incident that occurred last week, resulting in the deaths of six individuals due to a significant tremor that caused tunnel collapses in the new Andesita section of the mine.
The collapse, which took place on July 31, has prompted Codelco to seek approval from the mining regulator, Sernageomin, to reopen ten specific work areas within the mine. While the company has not disclosed the exact locations of these areas, it has confirmed that the suspended contracts affect all companies directly involved in the incident.
Aquiles Cubillos, the prosecutor for the O’Higgins region, reported that approximately 3,700 meters of passageways were damaged in the collapse, a figure significantly higher than the initial estimate of 700 meters provided by Codelco. Although the severity of the damage has not been fully detailed, Cubillos indicated that it impacted two or three areas of the Andesita section and five or six areas of the Recursos Norte unit.
El Teniente, one of the largest underground copper mines in the world, features an extensive network of around 4,500 kilometers of tunnels situated deep within the Andes mountains. On Friday, Cubillos and his team assessed four of the damaged levels of the mine, which were not the sites of the injuries and fatalities. They also met with technical experts from Codelco to gather further insights into the situation.
Investigators are currently documenting the affected areas with photographs to create a comprehensive map of the damage, which will aid in future assessments and recovery efforts.
As Codelco navigates the aftermath of this incident, the focus remains on ensuring the safety of workers and the integrity of operations at one of its most critical mining sites.
**FAQ**
**What caused the collapse at El Teniente mine?**
The collapse was triggered by a major tremor on July 31, which led to significant tunnel cave-ins in the Andesita section of the mine, resulting in six fatalities.
