Eleven miners have been trapped by a landslide at San Juan Arriba in Choluteca Department in southern Honduras. The incident occurred on Wednesday 2 July 2013, blocking the entrance to the small gold mine where the men were working and trapping them inside. Local firefighters have made contact with three of the men, and are supplying them with oxygen via a hosepipe while rocks and debris are cleared from the mine entrance by hand to avoid causing any further ground movements. The fate of the remaining miners is unclear, and it is understood that the mine reaches 80 m beneath the surface.
The approximate location of the San Juan Arriba gold mine. Google Maps.
It is unclear whether the landslide was triggered by the activities of the miners, or whether it was caused by rainfall. Landslides are a common problem after severe weather events, as excess pore water pressure overcomes the sediments cohesion and allows it to flow downhill. Approximately 90% of all landslides are caused by heavy rainfall. July falls in the middle of the rainy season in southern Honduras, and the area typically receives about 150 mm of rain during the month, though there have been no other reports of landslides or flash-floods in the area this week.
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