Chilean miner and rescue team head blame safety measures for Soma disaster

Two Chileans who experienced the widely reported mine accident in Copiapo four years ago have blamed the Turkish authorities for not adopting the necessary safety measures at the Soma mine, where 301 workers were killed in a mining disaster on May 13.

One of the 33 Chilean miners who was trapped for 69 days after the collapse of the San Jose copper-gold mine and the head of the team that orchestrated the miraculous operation are visiting Turkey to meet with the authorities and the victims’ families in Soma.  

Both have stressed that the loss of life could have been significantly reduced if all safety measures, as well as the quality of the equipment used in the rescue operation, were raised to international standards.

“The problem in your country is the scope and gravity of the accident was not foreseen in advance. Otherwise, it would have been possible to save more lives, even if this meant only one person,” said Rodrigo Reveco during a press conference in Istanbul June 23.

“To be realistic, it is very difficult to save lives considering the [current] conditions at the Soma mine,” Reveco added.

Luis Unzua, who spent 69 days underground with his 32 colleagues following the collapse of the San Jose copper-gold mine, stressed the importance of the refuge chambers, an area that provides safety and breathing protection for personnel underground.

“[In refuge chambers] we can find first aid equipment needed in emergency situations. These chambers have been designed to shelter miners until the arrival of rescue teams. As miners, we have to be ready for this kind of situation, but it is important that companies also provide this sort of information and [training],” said...