10 Mexican coal miners trapped in a flooded deposit
The families of 10 Mexican coal miners trapped in a flooded deposit for days were becoming increasingly desperate Sunday, as rescue efforts made little progress and hopes of reaching survivors began to dwindle.
More than 300 soldiers and other personnel, including six military scuba divers, have joined the effort to free the miners in the northern state of Coahuila, according to the government.
Five workers managed to escape from the crudely constructed mine in the initial aftermath of the disaster, but since then, no survivors have been found.
The water inside the flooded mine has receded only about 9.5 meters from the initial 34 meters, according to a report given to the relatives by the authorities effort, and divers have been unable to enter.
President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador had earlier declared Saturday "a decisive day" for the operation.
"According to the experts, we'll know if it's possible for the divers to enter safely," he tweeted.
The main problem has been the flooding, he said, adding that pumping equipment was working at full capacity.
The Coahuila state prosecutor's office said it had interviewed the five workers who managed to escape from the crudely constructed mine.
"Apparently they were expelled by a torrent of water," Coahuila attorney general Gerardo Marquez told the press.
