Initial dives in collapsed Mexican mine unsuccessful

Rescue divers’ first attempts to reach 10 miners trapped inside a flooded coal mine since last week were stopped by debris-filled shafts and poor visibility, Mexican authorities said Thursday. They made four attempts Wednesday and managed to remove more than a dozen pieces of wood and some 15 yards of hose, but were not able to go far.

“They found they didn’t have space to advance,” said Defence Secretary Luis Cresencio Sandoval. “With the lights they carry, they don’t have the visibility they need to identify what they find.”

On Aug. 3, 15 miners were inside the coal mine in Sabinas, Coahuila about 110 kilometres southwest of Eagle Pass, Texas.

Authorities believe the miners breached a wall containing another flooded area. Five miners managed to escape with injuries, but there has been no contact with the remaining 10.

For much of the past week, authorities have used dozens of pumps to try to lower the water level inside the flooded mine shafts.

In June and July of 2021, cave-ins at two Coahuila mines claimed the lives of nine miners.