Chile’s El Teniente Mine Halts Operations After Fatal Landslide Claims Two Lives

Chile's El Teniente mine halts operations after deadly landslide. Two workers killed, one rescued in South America's largest copper deposit.

Editorial Desk

October 12, 2026 One Min Read

POLICY WIRE — Santiago, Chile — Chile’s state-owned copper miner Codelco temporarily halted activities at the El Teniente mine following a deadly landslide that claimed two lives and left one worker injured, according to SERNAGEOMIN, the country’s mining authority.

The incident occurred on Sunday, October 11, when a rain-induced landslide struck the open-pit area of the mine, which is the world’s largest underground copper deposit. The affected workers were conducting inspections in a zone already under temporary suspension due to adverse weather conditions.

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Codelco, the global leader in state-run copper production, has faced multiple safety incidents in recent months. This latest event has raised concerns about the stability of operations at the site, with regulators suspending work in the impacted sector while investigations continue. Copper prices rose on Tuesday as traders worried about supply disruptions in Chile, the top copper-producing nation.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)

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