[Vision2020] Mexican Mine Disaster

[Phil Nisbet]

Those who have the desire to might wish to say a prayer for the miners 
trapped down in this mine in Mexico.

Oxygen Limited for Trapped Mexican Miners
By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ, Associated Press Writer

SAN JUAN DE SABINAS, Mexico - A gas buildup in a northern Mexico coal mine 
triggered a pre-dawn explosion Sunday, trapping 65 miners who were only 
carrying six hours of oxygen. Emergency officials were slowly tunneling 
through the debris, hoping they had access to fresh air and had survived.

At least eight miners who had been near the mine's exit when the explosion 
occurred were rescued and hospitalized with burns and broken bones. None of 
the injuries was considered life-threatening.

Union and company officials said they believed there were 65 miners trapped 
throughout the mine, near the town of San Juan de Sabinas, 85 miles 
southwest of Eagle Pass, Texas.

Sergio Robles, director of Coahuila state's emergency services, said the 
trapped miners were carrying six hours of oxygen with them and were located 
one to three miles from the mine's entrance. Nearly 20 hours after the 
explosion, rescue officials — slowed by toxic gases, including carbon 
monoxide — had not been able to make contact with the miners, and it was 
unclear if fresh air was reaching them.

When asked if officials believed the miners survived the explosion, Robles 
said: "It would be difficult because of the presence of gas. But we are 
holding out hope of finding someone alive."

Juan Rebolledo, vice president of international affairs for mining giant 
Grupo Mexico, which owns the mine, said rescue teams were taking turns 
carefully removing debris that had clogged the steep shaft.

"It's slow work because of the quantity of debris," he said. Officials were 
planning on working throughout the night.

Robles said rescue officials had advanced up to 300 yards into the mine 
after working nearly 20 hours. It was unclear when they would reach the 
miners. The explosion occurred around 2:30 a.m. local time Sunday.

Rebolledo said oxygen tanks were scattered throughout the mine, but it was 
impossible to know if the trapped miners had access to them.

Coahuila Gov. Humberto Moreira Valdes, who was at the site overseeing the 
rescue operation, told Televisa network that the mine's ventilation system 
was still working.

Officials had cordoned off the area, and worried family members waited 
outside the security zone for information. As night fell, many built 
bonfires and wrapped themselves in blankets to guard against the cold.

Among them was Norma Vitela, who heard on the radio that her husband, 
47-year-old Jose Angel Guzman, was trapped. Guzman, a father of four, had 
worked in the mine for 16 years, earning $76 a week.

"Now we are waiting for a miracle from God," she said.

Vitela said her husband had mentioned before that there were problems with 
gas in the mine, but he could not afford to quit.

Consuelo Aguilar, a spokeswoman for the National Miners' Union, said union 
officials were also there to assist in the rescue.

She said there has been concern over safety conditions in Grupo Mexico mines 
and called for an investigation to determine the exact cause of the accident 
and the responsibility of any company officials.

"We have pressured for better safety conditions as well as for better pay at 
the mines," she said.

Pedro Camarillo, a federal labor official, told reporters at the site that 
officials found nothing unusual during a routine evaluation on Feb. 7.

Rebolledo said safety conditions at the mine met Mexican government 
requirements as well as international standards.

"We follow all the best safety procedures, but accidents can always happen," 
Rebolledo said.

The company discusses safety conditions with the union in annual meetings 
and there has been no major disagreement on the issue, he said.

As well as mining coal, Grupo Mexico is the world's third-largest copper 
producer, with operations in Mexico, Peru and the United States.

There have been various fatal mining accidents in Coahuila. The worst was in 
1969 when more than 153 miners were killed in a pit at the village of 
Barroteran. In 2001, another 12 people died in an accident at a mine near 
Barroteran.

Last month, 14 miners died in two separate accidents at mines in West 
Virginia. Two men died in a fire Jan. 21 at a mine in Melville, nearly three 
weeks after 12 men died after an explosion at the Sago mine near 
Tallmansville.

U.S. rules require miners to carry oxygen tanks that provide only about an 
hour's worth of air. There is evidence that some of the miners killed in the 
Jan. 2 Sago mine accident used their oxygen devices, yet it took rescuers 
more than 40 hours to bring the victims above ground.

In Canada last month, 72 potash miners walked away from an underground fire 
and toxic smoke after being locked down overnight in airtight chambers 
packed with enough oxygen, food and water for several days.

___

Associated Press Writer Ioan Grillo in Mexico City contributed to this 
report.

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