Four miners trapped underground in Ecuador

[Judi Lynn]

Four miners trapped underground in Ecuador
Oct 15, 2010, 22:43 GMT

Quito
- Four workers were trapped 150 metres underground in a gold mine Friday in the Ecuadorian province of El Oro, 750 kilometres from Quito, Ecuadorian authorities said.

Emergency services authorities in the town of Portovelo said that the shaft where the miners were working collapsed early Friday due to the presence of water.

Ecuadorian Mining Secretary Jorge Espinoza travelled to the area. A rescue operation was under way, but the fate of the trapped miners would only be known Saturday, authorities said. Rescue teams were trying to bore an air shaft to the miners.

The firm Minesadco has operated the mine since 2004 with 150 employees. The trapped miners were part of a night shift of some 50 workers.

More:
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/americas/news/article_1591798.php/Four-miners-trapped-underground-in-Ecuador

[flamingdem]

1. Wonder if the recent attention to this will help nt

[Peace Patriot]

2. Oh, I truly hope so! Chile has the equipment and the know-how.

It would be great if South America could put together some kind of readiness group to deal with mining disasters, because there are so many mines. South America is truly fabulously rich in mineral resources. They probably have some mutual aid type agreements on disaster relief. But trapped miners have very particularized emergency needs and time is so critically important. Anyway, I hope Chile airlifts that big drill to Ecuador, and the "space capsule," and the brilliant team that got the Chilean miners out. Judi Lynn posted about several miners trapped in a Colombian mine as well--for whom there is little hope. But it hasn't been that long--and the Chilean miners were not known to be alive for 17 days.

[Billy Burnett]

3. The numbers of killed miners is astounding.

Fatalities go unrecorded in mining industry-experts
http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/70741/20101011/unrecord-in-mining-mining-death-miners.htm

Many fatalities go unrecorded in the mining industry, where many workers face deadly hazards underground and potential cover-ups by management and authorities if accidents occur, experts said on Monday.

more at link ... http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/70741/20101011/unrecord-in-mining-mining-death-miners.htm

[Peace Patriot]

4. Chile said they were ready/willing to help in Colombia.

Thanks for posting this, Judi!

Comment no. 2:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=405x43418

Don't know if they've heard of Ecuador yet. It's more recent, I think.

[Judi Lynn]

5. Miner found dead following Ecuador tunnel collapse

Miner found dead following Ecuador tunnel collapse
The Associated Press
Updated: 10/16/2010 03:03:36 PM CDT

QUITO, Ecuador—Rescue crews in Ecuador have found the body of one of four miners who were trapped by a tunnel collapse 490 feet (150 meters) underground.
Deputy Mining Minister Jorge Espinosa says the body of 31-year-old Walter Vera was located on the fifth level of the gold mine.

Friday's cave-in happened in the city of Portovelo, about 250 miles (400 kilometers) southwest of the capital, Quito.

Rescuers were continuing to look for the other three missing miners Saturday.

http://www.twincities.com/national/ci_16356864?nclick_check=1