Police complete recovery of 27 bodies from Peru mine tragedy

LIMA - Police have completed the recovery of 27 bodies from a gold mine in southern Peru following a devastating fire, authorities said on Monday.

The 27 workers at the mine in the town of Yanaquihua died after a short circuit caused an explosion that started a blaze inside one of the mine shafts.

The incident marked one of the worst mining tragedies in Peru in recent years.

"We have managed to recover the 27 workers' bodies. The recovery operation ended at 1:00 am," Yanaquihua Mayor James Casquino told the RPP radio station.

The bodies were taken to the morgue in the city of Arequipa, the regional capital, Casquino said.

The fire broke out on Saturday, but rescue efforts were hampered by a buildup of toxic gases inside the La Esperanza 1 mine.

Rescue teams had pulled out the first 12 bodies on Sunday.

There were no survivors.

Most of the miners were from the southern Andean regions of Cusco and Puno.

Mining is one of the engines of the Peruvian economy, the largest gold and copper producer in Latin America, accounting for more than eight percent of GDP.

Last year, 39 people died in mining-related incidents, according to the mining and energy ministry.