Frames from videos on social media show the fire at the Arequipa mine this Saturday.RR.SS
At least 27 gold-mining miners have suffocated at a mine called Esperanza 1 in a tragedy that has rocked Peru and started from a fire that broke out early Saturday possibly due to a short circuit. The deaths were confirmed this Sunday by public prosecutor Giovanni Mattos. The mine where the disaster occurred is located in the Yanaquihua district of the Condesuyos province of the Arequipa region. The flames quickly spread through the wooden supports that support the gold mining deposit.
Yanaquihua Mayor James Casquino reported that two people were rescued. His testimony is expected to be essential in clarifying the facts. It was the mine owner, Esteban Rey Huamaní Urday, who notified the authorities. It wasn’t easy: there is no phone signal in the area and he had to go to the nearest police station, which is an hour and a half away. The accident happened during a working day and it is believed that there are other trapped miners.
“All we know is that a short circuit caused the fire; However, I believe that the company is responsible for this circumstance due to a bad connection,” said the daughter of one of the deceased amid the shock. Other relatives have denounced that the Yanaquihua mining company has not yet given them details of what happened. According to the authorities, this company is engaged in artisanal mining of gold and other metals.
Of the 27 victims, six are from the same Arequipa region, 15 from Puno, four from Cusco, one from Junín and one from Lima. They held positions as drillers, motorists, and wardens.
The Arequipa regional government reported that it had dispatched three ambulances and medical personnel to the area. For their part, the National Police dispatched 30 agents who will be responsible for recovering the bodies. Three rescuers were injured in the rescue operation.
“We are asking specialized personnel to come to see if there are more people to save or more dead. We are coordinating with both the regional government and ministries such as Energy and Mines and the Ministry of the Interior so that there are appropriate interventions,” said Mayor Casquino, who regretted that valuable time was lost. “We didn’t find out until 3 p.m. on Saturday. It was getting late,” he added.
Subscribe to EL PAÍS to follow all the news and read without limits.
subscribe to
This mining accident in Arequipa is the most serious that has occurred in Peru since 2000, according to statistics from the Ministry of Energy and Mines. Last year, 38 people lost their lives in various mining accidents in the country.
Subscribe to the EL PAÍS America newsletter here and receive all the latest news from the region.