3 more miners found dead in Chile, death toll rises to 4

By Yasin Gungor

ISTANBUL (AA) - Three more miners have been found dead at Chile's El Teniente copper mine following a partial collapse triggered by a recent earthquake, raising the total death toll to four, local media reported Sunday.

The O'Higgins Regional Prosecutor's Office announced that three new bodies were found at the Rancagua mine, in addition to Paulo Marin Tapia, who was identified Thursday after the collapse, BioBioChile reported.

Two people remain missing as rescue operations continue at the world's largest underground copper mine.

The National Copper Corporation of Chile (Codelco), which operates the mine, expressed "heartfelt condolences" to the families of the victims.

The accident occurred Thursday in a tunnel within the Andesita project after a 4.2-magnitude seismic event caused by mining activity.

Chile has experienced significant mining disasters, including the 1945 El Teniente accident that killed 355 miners and the 2010 San Jose Mine collapse that trapped 33 workers for 69 days.