Relatives of miners demand more help: ‘Afraid to be left there’

The August 3 A tunnel collapsed at the Benabit Mine in Sabinas, Mexico, and parts of the mine filled with water. Since then, rescue workers have been working to empty the mine from the water to reach the 10 miners who were unable to get out.

With each passing day, the despair of relatives increases. Day and night they are outside the mine hoping that the miners will be rescued. Water levels in the mine have increased since the collapse, making rescue efforts even more difficult – and so far there have been no signs of life from those trapped.

Relatives need more help

Maria Montelongo, the sister of a miner, worries that they will never be rescued. If her fears come true, it is a crime that cannot go unpunished — against people already working under appalling conditions, she tells Reuters.

I am afraid that they will not come back to us, neither alive nor dead.

Martha Maria Huerta, wife of a trapped miner, says it’s not about blaming anyone.

– If they are alive, they must have become desperate, that is a lot, she says and continues:

– That’s why we’re talking now, because we want to help.