Chile announced this Tuesday (2) the opening of an investigation into the causes of the appearance of a crater measuring 32 meters in diameter and 64 meters in depth in a copper mine in the Atacama Desert, in the commune of Tierra Amarilla.
Specialists traveled to the Alcaparrosa mine, and a 100-meter perimeter was created around the site, which is owned by Swedish-Canadian company Lundin Mining, the National Geology and Mining Service said. The place is 800 kilometers from Santiago.
In a statement, the agency said there was no impact on the mine’s equipment or infrastructure and that no one was injured. As a preventive measure, however, the company that manages the mine has temporarily suspended work in an underground area.
David Montenegro, director of the Mining Department, said that officials are traveling through the region to check for cracks and the possibility of an impact on workers and nearby communities. They also entered the mine to inspect it.
Tierra Amarilla, a commune in Copiapó province, has about 13,000 inhabitants, who were surprised by the crater, identified on Saturday (30). Mayor Cristian Zúñiga told local newspapers that residents had always feared incidents due to mining.
“It’s the biggest crater we’ve seen in recent times, and it worries us because it’s still active, growing,” Zúñiga said in a video.
Responsible for over 26% of the global copper supply, Chile is the world’s leading producer of the metal. The share of the global market, however, has already been higher — in 2010, it was 34%, according to the Conselho Mineiro, an association that brings together companies in the sector. Peru, China and the Democratic Republic of Congo are also major producers.
The Latin American country is also a major producer of gold, silver, molybdenum and iron.
