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Topics: World News, News
Joe Harker
Rescue workers are racing against time to save the lives of 10 miners who are trapped underground in a mine in Mexico.
The miners became trapped in the coal mine after they came upon an abandoned tunnel filled with water that flooded the mine and caused a collapse.
Rescuers have been able to get five other miners who were stuck underground to safety, but there are still more who need help to get out and have been trapped beneath the Earth for more than 24 hours.
Efforts are now focused on pumping water out of the flooded parts of the mine to prevent the trapped miners from drowning deep within the mine.
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The military are also on the scene and helping with rescue operations, while according to CNN six special forces divers have been deployed to help find a way through to the stricken miners.
According to a statement released by Mexico's secretary of labour and social welfare, the collapse occurred at 1:35pm on 3 August.
It was around that time that mine workers discovered a tunnel full of water, which then collapsed and began to flood the coal mine.
They say the mine only opened in January and the site had no previous history of complaints or issues.
Five water extraction pumps are already in place and more are being installed to get rid of the underground water, Coahuila state governor Miguel Riquelme confirmed on Twitter.
They will be sorely needed as the coal mine's wells, each of them 60 metres deep, were all more than half flooded with water.
Reuters reports that families of the trapped miners have gathered outside the mine in Sabinas, in Mexico's Coahuila state.
They have been keeping a vigil throughout the night as they wait for news of their loved ones and hope rescue workers racing against time will make a breakthrough.
Laura Velazquez, director of Mexico's Civil Protection agency, said hundreds of people were 'working day and night' to help with the rescue efforts.
Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said an investigation into the collapse would be held once the rescue workers had finished getting everyone out of the flooded coal mine.
He said: "Those responsible, the permits, the inspections, everything, all of that, we are leaving until after.
"We already have the basic information, but let's not talk about that now, let's look to save the miners."
With more people and resources being mustered in an attempt to pump out the water and clear the collapsed coal mine, it's a race against time to get all 10 of the trapped miners out safely.
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