• The incident occurred at the Yauricocha polymetalic mine in the Lima region.
• Sierra Metals did not identify the contracting company or the tasks that the workers were performing.
• Peru is the world’s second largest copper producer, and mining is a significant industry in the country.

Three miners died after a mudslide at Sierra Metals Inc (SMT.TOsmall )’s underground mine in Peru, the company said in a securities filing on Monday, adding to a growing list of recent deadly incidents in Latin America.

According to Sierra Metals, the three victims were contractors, and another worker was injured. It did not identify the contracting company or the tasks that the workers were performing at the time of the mudslide.

The Peruvian Ministry of Energy and Mines had no immediate comment. Peru is the world’s second largest copper producer, and mining is a significant industry in the country.

The deaths have brought renewed focus to mining safety protocols in Latin America. Since July, ten coal miners have been lost in Mexico, and two others have died at two Chilean mines owned by state-owned Codelco, the world’s largest copper producer.

Last week, Chilean workers at BHP’s (BHP.AX) massive Escondida mine narrowly avoided a strike over safety concerns.

Following the fatal incidents, Chilean President Gabriel Boric stated that the country’s safety standards must be improved, while Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador stated that those responsible should be punished.

The incident in Peru occurred at the Yauricocha polymetalic mine in the Lima region, which also houses the country’s capital.

[embedpost slug=”families-of-mexico-trapped-miners-unsatisfied-by-rescue-strategy/”]