Peru officially killed 64 miners in 2010, in Chile is was 35 (I think, but if not it’s very close) UPDATE the correct answer is 43 deaths, here’s the web page and thanks to Setty for the headsup) Meanwhile, the Colombian death toll went over 200 last year in the most dangerous place to make a living underground outside of China.
This morning, another multiple person accident is reported as 30 men are trapped undergound after a coal mine explosion in the North Santander region and that number may be as high as 40. Also, being the type of accident it is (gas explosion underground in a coal mine), we have to hope for the best but fear the worst on this one.
And just to put a bit of icing on this cake, the very same mine, called ‘La Preciosa’ (trans: “The Precious”, but it’s not looking so valuable right now) managed to kill 31 of its workers in 2007 in a similar accident.
UPDATE: Midday local time and it’s grim: 23 confirmed deaths with likely more to come. Six injured now in hospital.