Mexico arrests owner of mine where 10 workers died in flooded pit last year
Owner of northern Mexico coal mine where 10 miners died last year has been arrested
MEXICO — The owner of a coal mine in northern Mexico where 10 miners died last year has been arrested, the attorney general’s office said Thursday.
Prosecutors identified the man only as Luis “G” in a statement. But a federal official with knowledge of the case confirmed that it was Luis García, majority owner of the El Pinabete mine in the border state of Coahuila. The official, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the case, agreed not to reveal the information unless it was cited by name.
García was arrested May 18 in neighboring Nuevo Leon state, the attorney general’s office said. It was not immediately clear if he had an attorney.
The arrest came nine months after the mine filled with water when workers climbed over a rock face into the flooded tunnel of an adjacent old mine.
Authorities worked for weeks to pump water out of the mine, hoping to send rescuers, but were never able to hold back the water and sufficiently stabilize the mine shaft. The bodies of the miners have not been found.
This was the second known arrest in this case, following the detention last year of Cristian Solís, identified by local media as the mine manager. He was charged with illegal exploitation.
ABC News
