The countdown at the Santa Fe mine
Here, in the bowels of El Rosario, Sinaloa, the air is heavy. Not only because of the humidity of the earth, but because of the anguish that is felt. Three men have been trapped 300 meters underground for five days. His companions fight a battle against the clock and against treacherous terrain.
The main obstacle now is a muddy and unstable floor, the result of the collapse of a waste dam. That’s why the plan changed. It’s not just about arriving, but arriving safely.
“It is expected that personnel specialized in the handling of resins and expansive foams will arrive this Monday in order to reinforce the structures,” explained Álvaro Enrique Vargas Miranda, manager of the operation.
The idea is to inject these materials to solidify the galleries and protect rescue teams. It is a high precision operation in extreme conditions.
An effort that never stops
Meanwhile, below, the brigade members take turns every four hours in a meticulous advance. They are already close to the point where the workers are believed to be. Above, three ambulances and medical personnel wait, hope tense in the air.
The rescue has become a state operation. Personnel specialized in tunnels from the Federal Electricity Commission joined. The objective is clear: advance 1.5 kilometers along ramps, securing each step, to the deepest area.
It is reported that there is ventilation and drinking water leaks where those trapped are. They are small details that, in this situation, sound like miracles. But the great miracle, that of getting them out alive, has yet to be written. An entire community holds its breath.
