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El Teniente Avalanche Kills Two Workers as Chile Mine Risks Mount
Two subcontractor workers were killed after an avalanche struck the open-pit area of Codelco’s El Teniente copper mine, adding another operational and safety setback for Chile’s mining industry during a year already marked by severe weather, production disruptions and several fatal mine accidents.
By Paul Ploumis
Published October 13, 2026
Key Points
- Fatalities: Two subcontractor workers were killed in the October 11 avalanche.
- Location: The accident occurred in the open-pit sector of Codelco’s El Teniente mine.
- Weather: Open-pit operations had already been halted because of adverse weather conditions.
- Mine status: The open pit remained suspended Monday, while underground mining and processing reportedly continued normally.
- Production exposure: A union representative said the affected open-pit area accounts for less than 10% of El Teniente’s total output.
- El Teniente output: The mine produced about 310,000 tonnes of copper in 2025.
- Investigation: Chilean prosecutors and investigative police are examining the circumstances surrounding the accident.
SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Codelco has confirmed the deaths of two subcontractor workers after an avalanche struck the open-pit area of its El Teniente copper mine in central Chile on Sunday, October 11.
The workers had initially been reported missing during emergency search operations before being found dead later in the day.
Codelco said both employees worked for subcontractor San Lorenzo, which provides services to contractor Aura, and were carrying out inspection work in sectors of the open-pit mine.
The company said operations in the area had already been stopped because of adverse weather.
ScrapMonster Exclusive: The Immediate Copper Risk Looks Contained — but El Teniente Has Little Room for More Disruption
The distinction between the affected open pit and the wider El Teniente operation matters. A union representative said the open-pit section remained shut Monday while El Teniente’s much larger underground operation and processing facilities continued running normally.
The affected pit contributes less than 10% of El Teniente’s total production, according to the union. El Teniente produced approximately 310,000 tonnes of copper in 2025. On that basis, the open-pit contribution would represent less than roughly 31,000 tonnes on an annualized basis.
That does not mean 31,000 tonnes are at risk. The actual production impact will depend on how long the suspension lasts, the mine plan and whether ore can be sourced or processed from other areas. Codelco has not announced a production-loss estimate from the October avalanche.
The larger concern is cumulative disruption. El Teniente is already recovering from the July 2025 rock burst that killed six workers, temporarily halted the operation and ultimately reduced expected 2025 copper production.
Codelco later estimated that the 2025 accident cut output by roughly 33,000 tonnes. The mine produced about 310,000 tonnes for the year, down from approximately 356,000 tonnes in 2024.
For copper markets, that makes duration more important than the initial headline. A short suspension confined to the open pit would have a much smaller supply impact than another interruption affecting underground ore production, haulage or the concentrator.
Two Workers Killed During Open-Pit Inspection
Codelco said the avalanche occurred Sunday afternoon in the open-pit area of the El Teniente Division.
Three workers were affected by the incident. One was rescued and transported for medical attention, while two others became trapped.
Emergency teams later located the two missing workers and confirmed their deaths.
The victims were subcontractor employees of San Lorenzo working through contractor Aura.
Codelco initially said they had been carrying out inspection work in sections of the open pit whose normal operations were already suspended because of bad weather.
Chile’s Public Prosecutor’s Office and Investigations Police are conducting inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Authorities Examine Why Workers Were in the Suspended Area
The accident has prompted scrutiny of the work being carried out in the affected sector while normal mine operations were suspended because of weather conditions.
Prosecutors have been gathering evidence concerning the workers’ activities, the condition of roads and the circumstances leading up to the avalanche.
Subsequent information from prosecutors indicated that the workers were involved in activities related to snow-covered mine roads when the avalanche struck.
The investigation remains ongoing, and no final determination of responsibility has been announced.
Open Pit Remains Shut While Underground Mine Continues
The affected open-pit area remained suspended on Monday.
According to an El Teniente union representative, the mine’s large underground operation and processing facilities were continuing to operate normally.
| El Teniente Area | Reported Status After Avalanche |
|---|---|
| Open-pit sector | Suspended |
| Underground mining | Operating normally, according to union representative |
| Processing facilities | Operating normally, according to union representative |
| Open-pit share of production | Less than 10%, according to union representative |
Codelco has not yet quantified any copper production loss related to the latest incident.
El Teniente Produced 310,000 Tonnes of Copper in 2025
El Teniente is one of Codelco’s largest and most important copper operations.
The mine, located in Chile’s O’Higgins Region southeast of Santiago, produced approximately 310,000 tonnes of fine copper in 2025.
Its underground workings extend for more than 4,500 kilometres of tunnels and galleries.
Codelco is also developing a portfolio of projects designed to extend El Teniente’s operating life by more than 50 years.
Those developments include Andes Norte, Diamante and Andesita, which are intended to progressively replace older mining sectors as extraction moves deeper into the orebody.
El Teniente Is Still Recovering From the 2025 Fatal Collapse
The latest deaths follow a major accident at El Teniente on July 31, 2025.
A seismic event and rock burst at the mine killed six workers and forced a significant temporary shutdown.
Codelco subsequently estimated El Teniente would produce about 316,000 tonnes of copper in 2025 following the accident, compared with 356,000 tonnes in 2024.
The company estimated at the time that the interruption would reduce output by approximately 33,000 tonnes and have a financial impact of around US$340 million.
Final 2025 production was about 310,000 tonnes.
Codelco has since been reviewing parts of its underground expansion strategy, including the future of the Andesita project, in light of seismic risk.
Severe Weather Has Already Hit Chilean Copper Output
The avalanche follows several months of unusually difficult weather conditions across Chile.
National copper production fell ↓9.4% year over year in July to approximately 403,424 tonnes.
Chile’s statistics agency said unfavorable weather in northern mining regions interfered with normal extraction and processing.
The weakness continued into August.
Chilean copper production fell another ↓12.8% year over year to approximately 369,500 tonnes.
| Chile Copper Production | Output | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|
| July 2026 | 403,424 MT | ↓9.4% |
| August 2026 | 369,500 MT | ↓12.8% |
The August decline reflected lingering effects from July storms as well as lower ore grades at major mining operations.
Other miners have also been affected. Antofagasta reduced its 2026 production guidance after severe rainfall and flooding disrupted operations at Los Pelambres.
Latest Accident Follows Fatalities at Other Major Chilean Mines
The El Teniente deaths also come shortly after fatal accidents at two other large Chilean copper operations.
On September 23, a worker was killed while carrying out maintenance work at BHP’s Escondida mine, the world’s largest copper mine.
BHP temporarily suspended operational activities before progressively restarting the mine after safety assessments.
On October 1, a mechanic was killed at Codelco’s Radomiro Tomic mine while conducting maintenance in a crushing and material-handling area.
Codelco partially suspended the affected section of Radomiro Tomic following that accident.
The incidents are separate and remain subject to their own investigations. Their close timing, however, has increased attention on worker safety and operational risk across Chile’s mining sector.
Why El Teniente Still Matters to the Copper Market
The latest suspension by itself does not currently appear large enough to materially remove a major share of global copper supply.
However, El Teniente remains one of Chile’s largest mines, and copper markets have become increasingly sensitive to disruptions at major producing assets.
That sensitivity has been amplified by several simultaneous issues in Chile, including:
- Lower national copper production
- Severe rainfall and storm disruptions
- Lower ore grades at some mines
- Operational interruptions at major producers
- Labor disruption at Antofagasta’s Centinela mine
- Recent fatal accidents requiring temporary shutdowns and safety reviews
A localized outage can therefore become more important when it occurs against an already constrained production backdrop.
What to Watch Next
Open-pit restart: The duration of the Rajo Sur suspension will determine whether the incident has a measurable effect on El Teniente’s monthly copper production.
Underground operations: Continued normal operation of the underground mine and concentrator would keep the direct production impact comparatively contained.
Investigation findings: Prosecutors, police, mining regulators and labor authorities are examining the circumstances surrounding the workers’ presence in an area affected by severe weather.
Weather conditions: Further snow, rainfall or instability in the Andes could create additional operational risks even after the immediate investigation is completed.
Chile production: National copper output had already fallen sharply in July and August. Additional mine interruptions could complicate the expected recovery later in the year.
El Teniente recovery: The mine continues to work through operational and development consequences from the fatal July 2025 rock burst.
ScrapMonster Market Read: The October avalanche is first and foremost a fatal workplace accident, and the investigations into how it occurred remain unfinished. From a copper-supply perspective, the initial evidence suggests the immediate production exposure is relatively contained because the affected open pit represents less than 10% of El Teniente’s output and the larger underground operation remains active. What makes the incident market-relevant is the broader context: El Teniente has already suffered a major production interruption, Chilean output has fallen sharply during recent months, severe weather continues to affect mining infrastructure and several major mines have experienced separate operational stoppages. In that environment, the duration of even a localized suspension matters more than it normally would.
Sources: Codelco; SERNAGEOMIN; Chilean Public Prosecutor’s Office; Chile National Statistics Institute; Reuters.
