Miner found alive 13 days after mine collapse in northwestern Mexico

A miner has been found alive 13 days after a collapse at a mine in northwestern Mexico, in the second such rescue since the disaster trapped four workers underground. Two other miners remain missing.

The collapse happened on March 25 at the Santa Fe mine in El Rosario, a town in Sinaloa state on Mexico’s Pacific coast. Officials said a failure involving a tailings dam sent muddy mining waste through the mine’s north and south access points, blocking the exits and trapping four workers in the central part of the mine.

At about 1:50 p.m. Tuesday, rescuers found 42-year-old Francisco Zapata Nájera alive after more than 312 hours of rescue operations. Authorities said crews were working to bring him out safely.

Another miner, 44-year-old José Alejandro Cástulo Colín, was rescued alive five days after the collapse.

After his rescue, Cástulo told Mexican broadcaster N+ that he had been working underground when he saw mud rushing in and realized he could not get out. He said he jumped from his machine and climbed into a vertical shaft to wait for the flow to pass.

“I said, this is it, whatever has to happen, let it happen,” Cástulo said. He said he spent the more than 100 hours he was trapped thinking about his daughters and granddaughter.

Rescuers were continuing to search for the two remaining miners, who had not been found as of publication.