Authorities Recover Remains of Seventh Coal Miner at El Pinabete

Laura Velázquez, Head, National Coordination of Civil Protection (CNPC), announced the recovery of the remains of the seventh miner from the El Pinabete coal mine on Sept. 28, 2024. The federal government will continue its rescue efforts to recover the remains of the three remaining trapped miners, adds Velázquez.

According to the federal government, the recent recovery of the seventh miner's remains took place 113 days into the second phase of underground search and recovery efforts. CNPC reported the discovery was made at 3:51 p.m. of Sept. 28, 2024, following their visualization in the GWE10 West gallery on Sept. 27, 2024. 

The Ministry of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC) reports that the operation was made possible through the coordinated efforts of the institutions comprising the Unified Command, which includes the CNPC, the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE), the Ministry of National Defense (SEDENA), and the Attorney General's Office of Coahuila (FGEC), along with recovery brigades.

Protective frames have been installed following the Biological Findings Recovery Protocol established at the mine to ensure safety in the work area. These measures have facilitated the recovery of the remains of the seventh of the ten trapped miners. The SSPC stated that excavation operations are ongoing in areas identified by specialists as having the highest likelihood of locating the remaining miners.

The recent discovery takes place over 24 days after authorities found the remains of the sixth miner, which were recovered from the GWE11 East branch gallery, as reported by MBN.

El Pinabete Most Recent Developments 

On Aug. 3, 2022, a tunnel collapse at a depth of 60 meters occurred at the El Pinabete mine in Sabinas, Coahuila, trapping 15 miners and flooding three pits. Since the incident, rescue efforts have been underway, with five of the 15 workers managing to escape at the time of the collapse. However, family members of the trapped miners have expressed concerns regarding the lack of transparency and the slow progress of rescue operations.

Following the accident, Interpol issued a red alert for the company's primary stakeholder, Luis Rafael García, who was detained on May 25, 2023. Cristian Solís, the site foreman, was arrested in September 2022, as reported by MBN. However, authorities have not yet been able to locate and arrest the mine's co-owner, Arnulfo Garza Cárdenas.

In response to the incident, CAMIMEX urged authorities to investigate "artisanal coal pits," which do not adhere to the safety protocols that regulated mining operations follow, such as NOM-032. Karen Flores, Director General, CAMIMEX, highlighted that illegal mining activities lead to significant social costs, often resulting in accidents that cost human lives. 

The chamber also urged CFE to properly investigate its coal suppliers, as the company buys over 99% of the coal produced in the state to fire its power plants. "Transparency regarding the source of resources must exist not only in private companies but also in government institutions, which must investigate the conditions under which mineral resources are extracted," said Jaime Gutiérrez, President, CAMIMEX, at that time.