The rescue of miners in Chile continues without contact with the five trapped.

The rescue plan to free the five miners trapped by a collapse at El Teniente, the world's largest underground copper mine, is progressing "solidly," but contact has not yet been established with them, the mine's owner, Chilean state-owned Codelco, reported yesterday, Friday, Efe reports.

"We've managed to advance about 4 meters (of a target of 20). We still have no contact with the trapped workers, but we're experiencing a decrease in seismic activity, which allows us to work more smoothly," Codelco CEO Rubén Alvarado said in a press conference.

300 tons of earth have been moved

The collapse was caused by a 4.2 magnitude earthquake recorded at 5:34 p.m. Thursday in the Andesita sector, one of the deepest sections of the mine, located in the O'Higgins region, about 120 kilometers south of the Chilean capital.

The rescue plan consists primarily of removing the rocks blocking the underground tunnel using remote-controlled equipment to try to reach the miners.

"We are carrying out a meticulous and safe effort. The most important thing is to safeguard the safety of the brigade members and ensure that each step forward is solid," Alvarado emphasized.

Rescuers worked on the 2010 rescue

The company reported in its latest report that at least 300 of the 5,000 tons of material blocking the tunnel have already been removed.

Rescuers, some of whom participated in the famous 2010 rescue of 33 miners trapped for 68 days in the San José mine, know exactly where the miners are trapped because they have GPS devices, although their health status is unknown.

"We're focused on making contact as soon as possible. The first 48 hours are critical," Alvarado added.

The copper company itself acknowledged on Friday that the rescue "is taking place in a difficult environment" because the deposit has suffered "damage" as a result of the earthquake, with at least "300 linear meters severely damaged and 400 moderately damaged."

The causes of the earthquake are still unknown, and could be associated with mining or local tectonics. Therefore, the O'Higgins Regional Prosecutor's Office has decided to open an investigation.

In addition to the five trapped miners, the landslide claimed the life of Paulo Marín, a worker at a Codelco contractor, and left at least nine others injured. They were able to escape and are in hospitals, but the condition is not life-threatening.

Thursday's accident is the most serious in more than three decades at El Teniente, which has 4,500 kilometers of underground tunnels and where six miners died in another accident in 1990.