Rancagua, August 2, 2025. – In a new technical spokesperson, the general manager of Codelco's El Teniente Division, Andrés Music, delivered a complete report on the situation at the Andesita deposit and the progress made in the rescue of the five miners trapped at the Teniente 7 level.

Music explained that the deposit is stable after the strong seismic event recorded at the mine. "The aftershocks tend to diminish, to attenuate, as time passes. All seismic monitoring polygons are in 'center' status," he stated.

Regarding the rescue strategy, he noted that two plans are being implemented. Plan A seeks to reach the collapsed area from the Teniente 7 sector itself, while Plan B contemplates access from other levels. “We determined that there were three ventilation shafts on an upper level. Of those three, two were inaccessible, and one was. We scanned it with a drone, and it was collapsed at the bottom, about 30 or 40 meters deep,” he said. For this reason, the teams continue to work primarily with Plan A.

Music confirmed that 20 meters have been cleared so far. He explained that the work is being done with heavy machinery: "We're operating with large shovels—a 17-yard shovel that can carry a large pickup truck—and smaller shovels—a 7-yard shovel. With that combination, we're advancing between 15 and 20 meters every 24 hours."

"At 2:00 p.m., we will have full connectivity in the central shaft and will begin advancing eastward along Loop 1," he indicated, specifying that this tunnel is 90 meters long, of which 70 meters remain to be opened. The executive maintained that there is a possibility that the workers are safe. "At 70 meters, there is a truck reversal barrier. We believe that, possibly, if the workers wanted to take cover, they could be in that area," he noted. He also explained that at that level there are three mining shelters designed primarily to mitigate events such as fires. "The shift supervisor for the sector saw them there less than 20 minutes before the seismic event occurred. Furthermore, according to the schedule, their work was assigned to that area," he added.

Regarding communications, Music reported that they have maintained constant contact with the families of the trapped miners. "This morning I met with them, answered their questions, and we committed to sending them a report every two hours, just like we did with the authorities," he said.

Asked about the timeframe, Music reiterated that the priority is rescue. “The first 48 hours were essential because that's when we define the strategy and begin to move forward. Speculation regarding timing has been intertwined. I can't say today that we'll reach those 70 meters tomorrow or the day after,” he stated. He added that survival conditions are possible: “Remember that the miners at the San José mine were there for several days. If the workers are close to the inversion shaft, they can be safe there.”

Finally, he emphasized that the mandate is clear: “The President of the Republic told us: 'Focus on the rescue, then we'll look at the other issues.' And that's what we've dedicated ourselves to.”

Codelco