A coal mine explosion in central Colombia has resulted in the death of at least 11 people, with 10 others still trapped underground. The incident occurred in the municipality of Sutatausa, located 74km (46 miles) north of the capital Bogota. Governor Nicolas Garcia of the country’s Cundinamarca department has stated that an accumulation of gases caused the explosion after a worker’s tool sparked. The mines in question are legal and linked, and people are currently trapped between 700 and 900 metres (2,300 and 3,000 feet) underground. Two people have been rescued so far, while seven others escaped unaided. Over 100 rescue workers have been deployed to try to free the trapped miners, with firefighters and other rescue workers seen at the entrances to the mines. Relatives of the trapped miners are awaiting information about their loved ones, while Governor Garcia has warned that every passing minute means less oxygen.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has confirmed the tragedy on Twitter, offering his condolences to the victims and their families. Colombia is home to numerous open and underground gold and coal mines, with incidents frequently occurring, mostly at operations that are illegal or do not adopt sufficient security measures. The most serious recent incident occurred in June 2010, when 73 people were killed in a mine explosion in the northwest. In August of this year, nine miners were rescued from a collapsed illegal coal mine in Cundinamarca. In 2021, the South American country recorded 148 deaths in mining incidents.