Miners are trapped in a Colombian mine. (Getty Photographs)
- Seven miners had been trapped in a coal mine in Colombia after an explosion in one in every of its tunnels.
- The mines and power ministry registered 1 262 such accidents between 2011 and Might 2022.
- A buildup of gases is the commonest explanation for mining accidents within the nation.
Seven miners had been trapped inside a coal mine in central Colombia following an in a single day explosion in one in every of its tunnels, officers stated Thursday.
Authorities are investigating what prompted the explosion at round 01:00 within the Cucunuba municipality in Cundinamarca, round 90km north of the capital Bogota.
Movies shared on social media confirmed smoke billowing from a sinkhole in the dark whereas folks wearing civilian garments carrying torches approached fastidiously.
“For now, 4 miners have been rescued alive and had been evaluated and brought to varied well being facilities and we’re persevering with the search and rescue course of for the remaining seven miners,” Alvaro Farfan, hearth captain for the Cundinamarca division, informed reporters.
Cundinamarca Governor Nicolas Garcia stated the explosion affected the interconnected El Roble and El Manto mines.
The division is a hotbed of unlawful mining, though authorities haven’t stated whether or not these two mines had been authorized.
Mining tragedies are frequent in Colombia, significantly in unlawful mines in Cundinamarca and different elements of the nation’s heart and northeast.
Mines and Power Minister Irene Velez stated on Twitter that rescue our bodies had been working within the space and “persevering with their makes an attempt to localise” the trapped miners.
The mines and power ministry registered 1 262 such accidents between 2011 and Might 2022 that left a median of greater than 100 folks useless per yr.
A buildup of gases is the commonest explanation for mining accidents within the nation, which is Latin America’s largest coal producer.
An explosion in mid-March in Sutatausa municipality, additionally in Cundinamarca, left 21 folks useless and was one of many worst such tragedies in Colombia in recent times.
