This morning on Tele13 AM, our CEO, Manuel Viera, in his role as President of the Chilean Mining Chamber, was specially invited to analyze in depth the recent accident at the El Teniente mine, which sadly claimed the lives of six workers.
With his extensive experience in mining geomechanics, Manuel provided a clear and technical overview of the complexity of this mining operation and the challenges posed by events such as rock bursts.
Some of his main comments were:
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“The El Teniente mine is an underground city. Between 8,000 and 10,000 people enter it every day.” This gives an idea of the scale and level of organization required to ensure everyone's safety This reflects the scale and level of organization required for the operation to ensure everyone's safety.
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“Rock bursts are violent and instantaneous. They are almost impossible to predict.” Due to the nature of this phenomenon, expert teams and cutting-edge technology are required to minimize risks and respond quickly to emergencies. A phenomenon that, by its very nature, requires expert teams and cutting-edge technology to minimize risks and respond quickly to emergencies.
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“Our geomechanical engineers are leaders in this field. Many foreign experts come to Chile to learn from them.” A source of pride for Chilean mining, highlighting the country's quality and technical leadership in the world. A source of pride for Chilean mining, highlighting the country's quality and technical leadership in the world.
He also highlighted the importance of having a high-performance mining rescue team, permanently attached to the Ministry of Mining, that can act quickly and effectively in critical situations.
