Death toll from Chile's mine collapse rises to 6 as rescue work ends

SANTIAGO, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- The body of the last missing worker in a Chilean mine collapse was found, bringing the total death toll to six, the regional prosecutor said Sunday.

"Today we conclude a very important step, which was finding the bodies of the injured workers," Aquiles Cubillos, the prosecutor for Chile's O'Higgins region, said.

The rescue operation officially ended Sunday. One person was killed during the initial; the five missing miners were later found dead; and nine others injured were discharged from the hospital.

The production at the mine was halted to recover the bodies, said the state-owned National Copper Corporation of Chile (Codelco).

"We deeply regret this outcome, but at least we hope that with all the efforts by the prosecutor's office, the PDI (Investigative Police), and Codelco rescuers, we can bring some peace to their families, as we initially promised," Cubillos said.

The collapse of the El Teniente copper mine occurred on Thursday, following a 4.2 magnitude earthquake in the central area of the country. Investigation is still underway to determine the cause of the collapse.

El Teniente, the world's largest underground copper mine, is located 130 km south of the Chilean capital Santiago. It features more than 4,500 km of underground passages in the heart of the Andes mountain range, at an altitude of over 2,300 meters. ■