Mexican authorities announced the full identification of the remains of two miners rescued from Pasta de Conchos, in the state of Coahuila (north), almost 20 years after the 2006 mine explosion. In a statement, the institutions comprising the Unified Command in Pasta de Conchos notified the families of the identification of José Isabel Minjarez Yáñez and Ricardo Hernández Rocha, corresponding to the 24th and 25th recoveries in the search efforts led by the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE). The CFE added that it will now proceed with the established protocol for the recognition and dignified delivery of the remains to their families, with the support of the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (STPS) “at all times” and until the final destination, as was done in the previous 23 cases. The process is supported by the Attorney General's Office (FGR), the National Institute of Genomic Medicine (INMEGEN), the Government of Coahuila, and the municipal governments of the carboniferous region, the statement detailed. According to the CFE, the operations continue under the instructions of President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo and the commitment of the heads of the Unified Command, ratified before the families on February 20, to continue the search and rescue of the remains of the 38 miners still pending “with transparency, security, and community participation.” The identification took place on the 20th anniversary of the February 19, 2006 explosion, which left 65 miners trapped in Pasta de Conchos. Previously, Mexican authorities had reported that the STPS had recovered the remains of 25 miners, of which 23 had already been identified and handed over to their families. Sheinbaum reiterated on February 20 her commitment not to stop the work until the remaining miners are located, and presented the so-called “Plan of Justice in Pasta de Conchos,” aimed at maintaining the rescue and providing support and reparation to the victims' families. On February 19, 2006, 65 miners were trapped after an explosion at the Pasta de Conchos mine, and for years their families denounced abandonment and demanded the recovery of the bodies, as well as justice for the alleged security failures at the mine. In 2019, the López Obrador government announced the resumption of the search and recovery work, and in July 2024, the identification of the first body rescued from this mine was reported. In September 2024, both Sheinbaum and López Obrador signed an agreement to guarantee the continuity of the rescue of the miners trapped in the Pasta de Conchos mine.
