Tegucigalpa: Authorities on Monday suspended the search for eight miners trapped in a collapsed gold mine in southern Honduras, citing the danger to rescuers.
"We definitely cannot risk more lives," said geologist Anibal Godoy, who is heading the operation.
Speaking to a local radio station, he said "there is no way of reaching" the eight buried men and recommended calling off the search altogether.
"Poor mining practices are collapsing tunnels" and there is too much risk for the rescuers, Godoy said.
Eleven miners were trapped Wednesday in a cave-in at the unlicensed San Juan mine in the department of Choluteca, about 160 kilometers (100 miles) south of Tegucigalpa.
Three of the men escaped alive on Friday, emerging dehydrated and exhausted from a depth of some 80 meters (260 feet).
Rescuers had to use their bare hands to free them, rather than heavy equipment, because of the danger of landslides.
Rescuers on Monday said they had detected a foul odor from a section of the collapsed mine.
"And every time we advanced it became stronger; in my opinion it was the remains of a human, but I cannot say if there were eight people," a firefighter told La Tribuna newspaper.
Many of the miners' families have begun to give up hope, setting up altars at their homes for vigils, local media reported.
"To this job, they will never return," said Bayron Maradiaga, one of the survivors, adding that he has nightmares in which he hears his trapped colleagues' voices.
"We definitely cannot risk more lives," said geologist Anibal Godoy, who is heading the operation.
Speaking to a local radio station, he said "there is no way of reaching" the eight buried men and recommended calling off the search altogether.
Eleven miners were trapped Wednesday in a cave-in at the unlicensed San Juan mine in the department of Choluteca, about 160 kilometers (100 miles) south of Tegucigalpa.
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Rescuers had to use their bare hands to free them, rather than heavy equipment, because of the danger of landslides.
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"And every time we advanced it became stronger; in my opinion it was the remains of a human, but I cannot say if there were eight people," a firefighter told La Tribuna newspaper.
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"To this job, they will never return," said Bayron Maradiaga, one of the survivors, adding that he has nightmares in which he hears his trapped colleagues' voices.
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