Authorities manage to save the bodies of eleven miners trapped in the Neira gold mine (Caldas)

After 22 days of trying to save the bodies of miners trapped in the gold mine in the village of El Bosque, in Neira, Caldas, authorities announced that the process was over. On the night of this Sunday April 18 The National Mining Agency (ANM) said it had successfully removed the lifeless bodies of the eleven people trapped in the abyss.

“With a specialized technical deployment, the continuous work of three work teams and the support of local and government authorities and the management of the mining safety and rescue team of the National Mines Agency, the rescue of 11 people trapped is carried out. the abyss since last Friday March 26 “the entity said in a statement.

The 11 victims of this accident, which occurred on March 26, are brothers Edwin Felipe, Milton Alexis and Diego Fernando Tabarquino; Jhon Edwin Gómez Mapura, Juan Bautista Bañol, Sandro Escarpeta, Samuel Tapasco, Sebastián Trejo, Joel José Briceño, Luis Esteban Londoño Serna and Henry Jiménez.

The announcement of the completion of the research came hours after the mayor of Neira, Luis Gonzaga, announced that at 3 p.m. on Sunday they had already saved the bodies of eight miners.

“I would like to inform all the inhabitants of our municipality, and those who are waiting for the rescue of the minors, that at 3 pm today, Sunday April 18, there are already three other bodies for a total of eight bodies recovered. . “, published the president.

It should be remembered that the first body was found around 9:30 am on Saturday April 17. when the process began, according to ANM President Juan Miguel Durán. Then at 10:15 a.m., the location of the second body was reported. The authorities have indicated that these first two bodies they were checked out around 11:30 am on Saturday.

At that time, it was reported that search and rescue efforts would continue throughout the day, but they were extended as the area is rocky and heavy rains increase the risk of landslides, which this makes the situation more complicated.

The bodies of the rescued minors were handed over to the Criminal Investigation Section (Sijín) of the National Police so that together with the Institute of Forensic Medicine of Manizales identify each of them. Once this process is complete, families will be able to claim the bodies.

The authorities specify that, the identification process will be done by DNA tests, compare the genetic material of parents of minors. This is because the accident happened after the Cauca River overflowed and flooded the sinkhole, so the victims were left underwater and, according to medical professionals, when a body is submerged for more than three days, the skin turns white and when they go to remove it, the bone is detached from the tissue, so there may be no more fingerprints.

As reported by the Caldas government, the rescue work was carried out with psychosocial work for the relatives of the deceased. in the abyss they have been waiting for nearly three weeks near the mine.

As part of the victim assistance process, the departmental government facilitated the delivery of emergency humanitarian aid (AHE) to the families of the missing. In addition, they will carry out personalized visits to individually monitor the affected population.

It should not be forgotten that in the work, which has continued since the day of the incident of March 26, In addition to the ANM, the National Risk Management Unit, Civil Defense, the national police, local firefighters and the governorates of Caldas and Risaralda and the mayors of Neira and Quinchía. In total, said Minister of Mines and Energy Diego Mesa, there was a work team of 40 rescuers.

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