Mexico: Initial Efforts to Rescue Trapped Miners in Coahuila Mine Fail | Here's Why

Preliminary efforts to save the trapped miners of Mexico in the Coahuila mine failed this week due to the unexpected structure inside.

Mexico News Daily reported that the actual rescue efforts began on Wednesday, but no trapped miner was brought out of the mine as of Friday.

In the past week, authorities tried pumping out water from the mine to let the divers safely enter and start the rescue efforts.

A total of four attempts to rescue the trapped miners were done on Wednesday.

Divers reportedly entered and exited the area through a 60-meter-long shaft that led them to one of the mine's shafts. However, one diver reported that tunnels leading to the part of the mine that is believed to house trapped miners cannot be accessed due to wood and rocks.

"We can't get in, [access] is blocked. It's completely collapsed," one of the divers said.

Mexico's Defense Secretary Luis Cresencio Sandoval also noted o Thursday that the lights carried by the army divers did not provide the visibility they need to identify what they found.

More than a dozen pieces of wood and some 15 yards of hose were removed by the authorities from the mine.

Family of the Trapped Miners 'Still Hoping' That the Trapped Miners Are Alive

Families of the trapped miners, who set up camps in the mines, are still hoping that their relatives trapped inside the mines are still alive, despite being disappointed with the result of the initial rescue efforts.

"It's been a very long, very painful, very nerve-wracking wait, Magdalena Montelongo Perez, sister of one of the trapped miners, told a local media outlet. Montelongo Perez acknowledged the effort of the rescuers and stressed that her family still has hope that trapped miners will be found alive.

Meanwhile, Plutarco Ruiz Loredo, who also has a relative in the mine, hoped that the trapped miners were able to take shelter in a higher part of the mine away from the waters. Ruiz Loredo was also trapped in a mine for seven days 12 years ago.

Mexico Miners Trapped in Coahuila Mine

The 10 miners from Mexico were trapped in El Pinabete Mine on August 3 when excavation works caused a tunnel wall to collapse, flooding the mine in Coahuila. Fiver miners were able to escape the mine with injuries after the tragedy occurred.

Military personnel and rescue dogs were deployed to the scene on Wednesday, per Al Jazeera.

Coahuila Governor Miguel Riquelme said in a statement that more pumping would be carried out before making any additional attempts of entering the mine.

Meanwhile, Mexico's Defense Ministry underscored that they will work nonstop until the 10 trapped miners are found.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written By: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Rescuers Race Against Time to Save 10 Miners Trapped in Mexico Coal Mine - From South China Morning Post