The Government of Mexico has concluded the search mission for the miners in Pinabete, in the town of Sabinas, Coahuila. On July 26, the first recovered body was identified in this mine, and this Friday, February 14, the remains of the tenth and last miner who remained inside were recovered.
"In this way, the work of the search and recovery phase of the miners of El Pinabete is declared finished; however, work will continue on the return of the extracted material from the site and the ecological restoration of the land," it was emphasized in a joint statement.
At 10:09 local time, skeletal remains were located in the GSN6 Norte gallery, which will be transferred to the Forensic Medical Service in Saltillo, Coahuila, for analysis and identification with the purpose of providing certainty to their families.
The finding of the remains of the last trapped miner was reported on February 6 in the coal mine 'El Pinabete'. The collapse that left 10 miners trapped occurred on August 3, 2022, initiating rescue efforts that recently concluded.
Authorities pointed out that the recovery of the bodies was a coordinated effort by institutions such as the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE), the National Coordination of Civil Protection (CNPC), the Secretariat of National Defense (Defense), and the Attorney General's Office of the State of Coahuila de Zaragoza (FGEC).
The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, committed to fulfilling the promise of former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador to deliver the remains of the trapped miners to their families. The discovery of the bodies has been a long and complex process involving multiple institutions and security measures.
The first two bodies were found on December 28, 2023, more than 500 days after the accident that trapped the miners in the mine 'El Pinabete'. The collapse reignited the controversy in Mexico about safety in mines and the need to regularize and adequately supervise these operations.