Falling water levels strengthen Mexico’s mine rescue mission

Falling water levels have sparked hopes rescuers may be able to enter a flooded Mexican mine on Wednesday to search for 10 trapped workers, the government said.

Authorities using an underwater drone equipped with a camera decided it was still too dangerous to enter the mine at Agujita in northern Coahuila state.

But by Wednesday or Thursday, water levels are expected to have dropped to 1.5 meters (about five feet), allowing “divers and rescuers to enter,” President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told reporters.

Several hundred rescuers, including soldiers and military divers, are joining the effort to rescue the miners, whose loved ones were increasingly terrified nearly a week after the accident.

Images collected by the drone on Monday showed obstacles and water turbulence, making it still too risky to go in, said Laura Velazquez, national civil defense coordinator.

The focus so far has been pumping water out of the 60 meter (200 foot) deep mine.

Water in the wells has fallen significantly, initially from more than 30 meters but was still at least 10 meters deep, officials said.

According to authorities, the miners were digging when they encountered an adjacent area full of water.

Five workers were able to escape the roughly constructed mine in the first aftermath of the accident on August 3, but there was no deal with the others.

Coahuila, Mexico’s main coal producing region, has seen a number of fatal mining incidents over the years.

The worst accident was an explosion that killed 65 people at the Pasta de Conchos mine in 2006.

Last year, seven miners died when trapped in the region.