The Ojos del Salado mine is operated by the local unit of Lundin. Last week, Chile’s environmental regulator SMA imposed a number of actions against the mine, stating that its ‘over-extraction of material’ may have contributed to the sinkhole.
The study solely considers neighbouring mining activities, which by alone cannot explain the construction of the sinkhole whose diameter has increased to 36.5 metres, according to Luis Sanchez, president of Ojos del Salado (39.9 yards).
In an interview with Reuters on Wednesday, Sanchez stated, ‘This occurrence is certainly attributable to several variables, and in order to clarify the genesis it is necessary to evaluate all these elements.’
The executive claimed that Lundin had carried out its own hydrographic, topographic, geophysical, and other research.
‘While it is true that we cannot be sure of the cause, we can indicate through these studies that there are relevant factors like soil composition, climatic episodes like 2017 mudslides, July’s rains and, of course, the mining activity under the sinkhole,’ he said.
Sanchez said Lundin’s studies show the subsoil in the area has a clay-calcareous composition, which ‘could have caused a progressive degeneration’ that leads to sinkholes.
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