Santiago, August 13, 2025.- This Tuesday at noon, the Senate's Mining and Energy Committee met to address the accident that occurred in El Teniente on July 31. Representing Codelco were Máximo Pacheco, Chairman of the Board; Rubén Alvarado, Executive President; Marisol Finch, Acting Vice President of People Management; Mauricio Barraza, Vice President of Operations; and Macarena Vargas, Vice President of Legal Affairs.

Codelco reported on the five areas of work and management on which it has focused all available human, technical, and material resources: rescue, the Assistance Plan for families and workers, operational normalization, safe and gradual return, ongoing investigations, and communications.

Regarding support for the families of the deceased miners, the company explained the comprehensive support they are receiving, including psychological support, support, medical care, active management of employee benefits, insurance, and other specific needs. In the case of workers, more than 10,600 people have already participated in reflection and support sessions.

“From the moment of the accident, we suspended operations, and following the resolution from Sernageomin, we paralyzed the entire underground operation of the El Teniente Division. Since the night of Sunday, August 10, operations have been gradually reestablished, pursuant to authorizations from Sernageomin and the Labor Directorate. We are doing so safely, in close collaboration with the contracting companies and workers' organizations. The return to a new normal for the El Teniente Division is good news for its workers, for Codelco, and for the country,” said Pacheco, who, when asked about the impact of the accident, commented that, “in addition to the tragedy of the six workers who died, we have an impact on production estimated at between 20 and 30 thousand tons of fine copper, equivalent to approximately US$300 million.”

Regarding the ongoing investigations, Rubén Alvarado expressed his full willingness to cooperate with all ongoing efforts, both by the Prosecutor's Office and other oversight bodies, aimed at clarifying what happened in the accident. "We have fully cooperated with all the efforts and requests from the Prosecutor's Office and the PDI, responding to the various investigation requests in a timely manner," he clarified.

Codelco executives listened attentively to the statements of union leaders from Codelco and the contractor, who spoke at the meeting, expressing their heartfelt solidarity with the families, their support for the ongoing investigations, and the workers' willingness to do everything they can to further improve safety in mining operations.

“We don't want to let this go, we don't want to look the other way. We want to be part of the changes. If that means profound changes, there will have to be profound changes. If that means respecting what is being initiated today as an investigation, it is extremely valid. We greatly value the efforts that have been made. We value them because today, different things have been done, different things, which should allow us to generate these great changes that our Codelco needs,” Amador Pantoja, president of the Sewell-El Teniente Mine Unified Union and former president of the Federation of Copper Workers (FTC), stated at the commission.

Codelco