Mexico to unearth the bodies of 2006 Pasta de Conchos mine blast victims in 2022

After a decade of the 2006 Pasta De conchos mine tragedy, the Mexico government in 2022 will dig out the bodies of the coal miners tragically buried because of a gas explosion, Reuters reported.

65 miners, working their morning shift, were trapped underground after a methane explosion on February 19, 2006. Only 2 of the 65 bodies have been recovered.

In February 2010, the families of the victims presented the case to Inter- American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), asserting that Mexico was internationally responsible for the delays and negligence in the internal investigations. The government defied the case was unacceptable as the families had access to various domestic remedies to seek justice. However, the IACHR reasoned that it is the Mexican state's obligation to investigate and move the process forward. As per the communicated agreement on September 14th 2020, the government stated that the bodies of the miners would be rescued and a memorial will be built, and the 65 families will be compensated by the end of the year.

The Mexican President, López Obrador, said that the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) would be responsible for the works as the process for compensations both individual and collective has started. The CFE will finance the estimated US$75 million cost through the sale of the coal from the mine. Initial excavations of the mine are to start in the first quarter of 2022, after analysing the soil from September 2021 and is expected to conclude by 2024, according to the reports of Reuters.

Grupo Mexico, responsible for the mines, transferred the concession for the site to the government early this year.