After failing to in rescue miners who have been trapped for nearly two weeks, Mexico officials are asking Gerrmany- and U.S.-based companies to aid the rescue.
Ten miners have been trapped in the Pinabete mine, located near the state of Coahuila, since a tunnel wall collapsed and flooded the mine on Aug. 3, BBC reports.
Mexican authorities announced that companies will be contacted after more than 300 hours continuous work “to find out who is the one that can provide us with the best opinion, the broadest, taking into account the conditions of our mine.”
Rising water levels have been flooding the mine, thwarting attempts to access the trapped individuals, according to Mexican officials.
Pumps have been installed to extract the water from the Pinabete mine and authorities have worked to close off the Conchas Norte mine, the mine responsible for the surge of water into the Pinabete mine, Reuters reported.
Military divers along with miners and rescue professionals have tried to enter the mine but debris, including planks of wood and overall poor visibility have slowed rescue efforts, according toReuters.
After being trapped for roughly two weeks, the families of the miners are urging officials to work quicker to get their loved ones to safety.
“It’s going so slow. They had to get them out when they still could,” Erika Escobar, wife of trapped miner Hugo Tiijerina, told Reuters. She was concerned that officials might have lost the chance to find the miners if the water levels were lower.