Three workers at Codelco’s El Teniente copper mine in Chile were caught in a mudslide on Sunday while carrying out inspection work, adding to the state miner’s ongoing operational challenges.
According to Codelco, the mudslide was triggered by heavy rainfall in central Chile and struck an open-pit area of the mine.
In a statement, the company said immediate action was taken to safeguard the three workers who were conducting inspections at the time of the incident.
One worker has since been rescued and taken to a medical facility. The other two have been located, with rescue efforts ongoing.
According to preliminary information from Chilean mining regulator Sernageomin, the incident occurred at approximately 2pm local time in the Cráter Norte area.
No further details were provided on the workers’ conditions or the impact on mining operations.
Site of fatal collapse
The mudslide comes as El Teniente continues to recover from a July 2025 seismic collapse that killed six workers and injured nine others.
Located in the Andes Mountains of central Chile, about 75km southeast of Santiago, El Teniente is the world’s largest underground copper mine and also Codelco’s largest.
The fatal collapse forced the suspension of operations in parts of the mine, significantly affecting Codelco’s copper output in 2025 and raising concerns over future production.
The company also suspended expansion work at the Andes Norte section in August after identifying deeper seismic risks. The area was also affected by the 2025 collapse.
Authorities subsequently identified several safety breaches involving Codelco and its contractors. An internal company audit also found “serious breaches of duty” by executives in reporting safety risks.
The mudslide follows another fatal incident earlier this month at Codelco’s Radomiro Tomic copper mine, adding to safety concerns surrounding the state miner’s operations.
Codelco is also grappling with declining copper production. Management previously acknowledged that its target of returning to annual output of 1.7 million tonnes by 2030 is no longer achievable.
Write to Jackson Chen at Mining.com.au
