Three Still Trapped After 180 Hours of Rescue Ops in Sinaloa

Three miners remain trapped at the Santa Fe gold mine in El Rosario, Sinaloa, after more than 180 hours of rescue operations, as Mexican federal agencies coordinate drilling, water pumping and structural reinforcement efforts at depths exceeding 350m. The incident has drawn regulatory scrutiny following the company's delayed notification to authorities and highlights persistent safety and oversight challenges in Mexico's mining sector, where more than 270 accidents have been recorded over the past decade. Mining operators, labor regulators and investors in Mexico's extractive industries face renewed pressure as the CNPC-led response underscores the operational and reputational risks associated with mid-scale mining concessions.

Mexican rescue brigades have explored more than 3.2km of access ramps at the Santa Fe mine in El Rosario, Sinaloa, and are now concentrating efforts on a section designated as "Zone 0," the National Civil Protection Coordination (CNPC) reported after more than 180 hours of uninterrupted operations. Three miners remain trapped in the deepest section of the mine following a collapse on March 25.

The Unified Command Post, integrating SEDENA, SEMAR, the National Guard, and state authorities, is overseeing a multidisciplinary strategy that includes continuous water pumping to control fluid levels, exploratory drilling to depths of up to 230m to assess internal mine conditions, and the construction of containment barriers to stabilize the surrounding structure. 

The Ministry of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC) is directly supervising operations at each stage of the advance. Specialized brigades from private mining companies are also participating alongside government teams.

Overnight, specialists from the CFE and technical personnel joined the operation to reinforce site infrastructure. A central element of the current phase is the filling and placement of sandbags inside the tunnels, an engineering measure designed to contain mud and water within the galleries and prevent shifts that could compromise rescuer safety and the condition of the areas where the trapped workers may be located.

Progress is further complicated by conditions inside the mine. The tunnel averages one meter in height and is covered in "jal," residual extraction material, according to Álvaro Vargas, Administrative Manager of the operating company. Heat inside the mine raises the risk of dehydration for both the trapped workers and rescue teams. 

The Incident and First Extraction

The collapse occurred at 2 p.m. local time on March 25 at the mine operated by Industrial Minería Sinaloa. At the time, 25 miners were working at the site; 21 exited without injuries. The incident was not reported to municipal authorities until the following day at noon, according to the CNPC. The company initiated its own rescue operations before three government response teams reinforced the effort.

On March 30, one of the four originally trapped miners, José Cáustulo, was pulled out shortly after midnight following more than 100 hours of operations. During his time underground, he remained in a ventilated area with oxygen access, which proved critical to his survival. Stable temperatures between 20°C and 30°C, having eaten before the accident, and staying on elevated ground also contributed to his endurance.

His rescue required helicopter transport from the mine to the International Convention Center of Mazatlan, followed by ground ambulance transfer to the General Hospital. Hospital deputy medical director César Tonatiú Rocha Puente said Cáustulo Colín arrived dehydrated and disoriented but not in a life-threatening condition. He was discharged hours later after treatment for mild dehydration.

"He is fine," President Claudia Sheinbaum said. "Hopefully we can find the other three miners in good condition," she added. Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya and Civil Protection Director Laura Velázquez reaffirmed their commitment to sustaining operations until all workers are located. 

Rescue teams have maintained contact with the miners' families after each underground incursion, providing updates alongside psychological support, meals and rest facilities.

Regulatory Context

The incident in Sinaloa adds to the country’s record of mining emergencies. Over the past decade, the country has recorded more than 270 mining accidents, resulting in 270 fatalities and 108 injuries, with the highest concentration of incidents occurring between 2012 and 2017.

In recent years, accident rates have declined. Companies affiliated with CAMIMEX, the Mexican Mining Chamber, reported an accident rate of 1.33, below the national average. In 2023, Mexico's Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare conducted approximately 48,000 workplace inspections nationwide, 6% of which focused on the mining, metallurgical and steel industries.

The most significant recent precedent is the August 2022 collapse at the El Pinabete mine in Sabinas, Coahuila. On Aug. 3, 2022, 15 miners were working at a depth of 60m when tunnel walls collapsed, flooding three pits at El Pinabete. Five workers managed to escape. The remaining 10 were never recovered alive. Relatives of the victims repeatedly raised complaints about lack of transparency and insufficient progress by authorities. The government cited the mine's flooding as the primary obstacle to earlier recovery efforts.

Identification and recovery of remains stretched over more than a year. In April 2024, the Prosecutor's Office conclusively identified four victims: Hugo Tijerina Amaya, Jorge Luis Martínez Valdez, Jaime Montelongo Pérez, and José Rogelio Moreno Morales. The first two sets of remains were discovered on Nov. 11, 2023, the third on Dec. 29, 2023, and the fourth on Jan. 16, 2024.

On Feb. 6, the National Civil Protection Coordination confirmed that the remains of the tenth and final missing miner had been located in the GSN6 Norte gallery. The discovery included a shoe containing skeletal remains, prompting the activation of biological findings and recovery protocols. Recovery operations continued in that gallery and in vertical shaft No. 2.

The CNPC described the operation as the result of coordinated efforts among the Federal Electricity Commission, the Ministry of National Defense and the Attorney General's Office of Coahuila.