Relatives of trapped miners say their frustration has mounted with each delay.
Mexico will ask two foreign companies to help rescue 10 miners who have been trapped in a coal mine for nearly two weeks, as families urged quicker action to save the trapped men.
Laura Velazquez, head of Mexico's civil protection agency, said Mexican officials, including the Foreign Ministry, will speak with the companies on Tuesday.
The Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond when asked which two companies it contacted.
"They are two companies that will give us an opinion to determine our actions with more precision," she told a regular government news conference.
Engineers meanwhile are pumping water out of Pinabete while working on sealing off the nearby Conchas Norte mine.
Water there had accumulated for more than 25 years and is now rushing into Pinabete due to the underground tunnel collapse.
The miners have been confined underground since August 3 when a tunnel wall collapsed, triggering flooding throughout the mine.
Water surged more than halfway up the 60-metre mine shafts, and officials have struggled to extract enough water and debris such as piping and wooden planks to be able to safely send rescue teams into the mine.
READ MORE: Mexico prepares to launch search for trapped coal miners
Government blamed for being slow
Relatives of the trapped miners said their frustration has mounted with each delay and blamed the government for not acting faster.
"They haven't been able to solve anything," said Javier Tijerina, whose brother Hugo Tijerina is trapped below.
"It's an embarrassment that this country doesn't have rescue personnel who are trained and prepared for situations like these."
Hugo's wife Erika Escobedo said she was trying to keep the hope of seeing her husband again, yet was concerned officials may have missed a chance to find the miners when water levels were lower several days ago.
"It's all going so slowly ... They had to get them out when they still could," she said.
READ MORE: Relatives pray for miracle as Mexico miners remain trapped in coal mine
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