Police complete recovery of 27 bodies from Peru mine tragedy
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The 27 workers at the mine in the town of Yanaquihua died after a short circuit caused an explosion.
PHOTO: AFP
LIMA – The police have completed the recovery of 27 bodies from a gold mine in southern Peru following a devastating fire, the authorities said on Monday.
The 27 workers at the mine in the town of Yanaquihua died after a short circuit caused an explosion that started a blaze inside one of the mine shafts.
The incident marked one of the worst mining tragedies in Peru in recent years.
“We have managed to recover the 27 workers’ bodies. The recovery operation ended at 1am,” Yanaquihua Mayor James Casquino told the RPP radio station.
The bodies were taken to the morgue in the city of Arequipa, the regional capital, Casquino said.
The fire broke out on May 6, but rescue efforts were hampered by a build-up of toxic gases inside the La Esperanza 1 mine.
Rescue teams had pulled out the first 12 bodies on Sunday.
There were no survivors.
Most of the miners were from the southern Andean regions of Cusco and Puno.
Mining is one of the engines of the Peruvian economy, the largest gold and copper producer in Latin America, accounting for more than eight per cent of gross domestic product.
In 2022, 39 people died in mining-related incidents, according to the Mining and Energy Ministry. AFP
