Mexico miners trapped: situation worsens as water levels rise

• The water levels in three shafts abruptly surged on Sunday, delaying efforts to rescue 10 workers.
• Water was probably coming into the shafts from a nearby abandoned mine, officials say.
• Rescue operation has encountered a lot of obstacles, including obstacles and turbulence in the water.

The water levels in three shafts abruptly surged on Sunday, delaying efforts to rescue 10 workers from a flooded mine in Mexico.

On August 3, a tunnel wall collapsed, trapping the miners when water from a nearby chamber poured into the three shafts.

According to officials, the water must recede to a depth of 1.5 meters (5 feet) for rescuers to enter the shafts safely.

But on Sunday, it abruptly increased once more to above 20m.

The water was probably coming into the shafts from a nearby abandoned mine, according to the governor of the state where the coal mine is located in Coahuila. Engineers are attempting to identify the leak’s source so they can stop it, according to governor Miguel Riquelme.

Although more than 200 million liters have been drained out of the shafts so far, the rescue operation has encountered a lot of obstacles.

In one of the shafts last week, a customized underwater drone with a camera was lowered.

Since there has been no sign of life from the miners’ loved ones since the tragedy 12 days ago, family members of the miners had anticipated the drone would bring them long-awaited news.

However, the drone was unable to descend to the depth where it is thought that the miners became stranded.

“There are a great number of solid obstacles and turbulence in the water, which make visibility very limited,” a statement said.

“These are not conditions in which we can send in search and rescue teams.”

Relatives of the 10 trapped miners once more expressed their annoyance and rage at the delayed progress of the rescue operation and what they perceived to be a communication breakdown.

“We want them (authorities) to tell us what is happening: if they have identified the places where water is coming through and why,” a member of miner Sergio Cruz’s family told Reuters news agency.

Priests in the vicinity have prayed for the miners’ survival.

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