The Mexican Government announced this Monday a new plan to save the 10 miners trapped in the Sabinas minein the northern state of Coahuila, after a flood that complicated the rescue scheduled for last weekend.
After lowering water levels at the Pinabete coal mine, which was flooded following the collapse of a wall at the neighboring abandoned Conchas Norte mine, rescuers were preparing to enter this Sunday, but a new flood occurred, explained Laura Velázquez, national coordinator of Civil Protection.
The new plan outlined, contemplates continuing with permanent water pumping, identifying areas with cavities or empty spacesdrill 20 6-inch holes to a depth of 60 meters in the abandoned Conchas Norte mine, and inject cement to create a barrier that prevents the passage of water between the mines.
“At 4 in the morning (9:00 GMT) we had 1 meter 30 centimeters of water level and we were preparing to enter through well 2, but this sudden income stopped the entire income plan and had to give way to another plan, ”said the official at the government’s daily press conference.
The government had announced last Friday that conditions already existed to enter for the minerscaught since August 3 at 13:35 local time (18:35 GMT).
But the president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, rThis Monday, he recognized complications from the Conchas Norte mine, abandoned since 1996.
“We were doing well, unfortunately the mine collapsed even moreAbove all, a water hole from the abandoned neighboring mine was enlarged, which is the one that accumulates the most water, and when we were draining the water from the coal mine where the 10 miners are trapped, the volumes were increased again. of water"commented.
The Government, which has deployed more than 600 elements of the Armed Forces and civilians in the area, has pumped more than 249,000 cubic meters of water to enter the miners trapped in the Pinabete mine, but discovered that the abandoned Conchas Norte mine has an accumulation 1.9 million cubic meters of water.
"I have given instructions for the entire rescue plan to be reinforced, they are pumping about 290 liters per second, we are going to increase the pumping and the mining engineers are making a proposal to make a kind of barrier from one mine to the other"explained López Obrador.
The collapse has reactivated the controversy in Mexico over the actions of mining companies in the coal region, where more than 100 deaths of people dedicated to mining have been recordedaccording to the Pasta de Conchos Family, which brings together relatives of those who died in the 2006 collapse at the mine of that name.