Authorities reported that military divers and rescue teams reached Francisco Zapata Nájera after pumping water from the tunnels of the gold and silver mine that collapsed on March 25. President Claudia Sheinbaum hailed the rescue as “incredible,” while authorities confirmed the deaths of two other miners and the rescue of a first survivor a few days earlier. This exceptional survival brings rare relief to one of Mexico’s most dangerous mining sectors. According to authorities, the collapse was caused by a structural failure that led to a sudden flooding of the mine, where four men were trapped while 21 others managed to escape. For two weeks, rescuers, technicians, military personnel, and specialized pumps worked continuously before the survivor was evacuated to a hospital in Mazatlán. The tragedy has once again highlighted the persistent safety flaws in Mexican mines. In 2022, ten miners perished in the El Pinabete disaster in Coahuila, following the Pasta de Conchos explosion in 2006, which killed 65 people.
