In a devastating development, Chilean officials confirmed on Sunday that all five miners trapped in a collapsed shaft at El Teniente — the world’s largest underground copper mine — have been found dead. The final body, belonging to Moisés Pavez, was recovered around 3:30 p.m. local time after intensive rescue efforts involving drilling through rock layers.

The fatal collapse occurred last Thursday following a 4.2 magnitude earthquake. It instantly killed one miner, Paulo Marín, and injured nine others. The five trapped workers — Gonzalo Núñez, Jean Miranda, Alex Araya, Carlos Arancibia, and Moisés Pavez — were detected via GPS, but teams were unable to make contact with them before reaching the site.

El Teniente, operated by Chile’s state-owned mining giant Codelco, sits in the seismically active Andes mountains. Authorities are currently investigating whether the quake was natural or linked to mining activity. A criminal probe has also been launched to assess if safety protocols were breached.

Operations in the affected section have been suspended, and 3,000 personnel were evacuated for safety. Codelco also cancelled its financial briefing scheduled for Friday to focus on rescue efforts.

This tragedy echoes memories of Chile’s 2010 mining disaster, where 33 miners survived two months underground — an incident that captivated the world and was later adapted into a Hollywood film.