Colombia: at least 11 dead and 10 missing after several explosions in coal mines

At the time of the accident, some 30 miners were in the underground galleries.

At least 11 miners died after a series of explosions at interconnected coal mines in Cundinamarca, in central Colombia, Colombian President Gustavo Petro himself reported.

The president assured on Twitter that they are making “every effort” to rescue the trapped people alive, and sent a message of solidarity to the victims and their families.

According to the Colombian newspaper El Espectador, the explosions were caused by an accumulation of gas inside the mines. This was confirmed by a local worker to that portal.

“Here the majority of people live from mining because there is no more, so you have to go into the mines and may God protect you. What happens is that there are mines that accumulate a lot of gas, there is no good ventilation and since there are several connected, if one has a problem of this type, the others too,” clarified Argemiro Gómez Rodríguez, who has been working as a miner for 27 years.

The latest balance from the Ministry of Mines and Energy indicated that there are still 10 people trapped in the mines in the municipality of Sutatausa, 74 kilometers from Bogotá, where the emergency occurred on Tuesday night.

Six of the bodies were recovered by lifeguards, while another five were only sighted and were pending recovery inside the mine, explained Javier Pava, director of the state National Unit for Disaster Risk Management.

Luis Carlos Galviz told the AP news agency that he was saved thanks to the fact that his shift inside the mines ended the Tuesday before the explosion.

Miners await news from their colleagues after an explosion that authorities say killed at least 11 people in Sutatausa. AP photo.

When visiting the area, he seemed concerned about his companions and assured that after several hours of rescue it is likely that some of those trapped are dead.

a dangerous maze

The mines, interconnected by a series of tunnels and ventilation sites, are located in the rural area of ​​Sutatausa and at the time of the emergency there were 30 workers inside, the company that operates them told the authorities.

Nine of the people who came out alive were transferred to medical centers and on Wednesday afternoon only three continued to receive care, Gestión del Riesgo detailed.

One of the mines in the municipality of Sutatausa, municipality of Cundinamarca, Colombia. AFP photo.

In a first balance of the governor of Cundinamarca, Nicolás García Bustos, four deaths were reported, two people recovered alive and another 17 still trapped in the mine.

The Minister of Mines and Energy, Irene Vélez, explained to the press that a first report indicates that the explosion was caused by a concentration of methane gas, which when accumulated is highly flammable.

Álvaro Farfán, captain of the Cundinamarca fire department, told local media that the explosion affected five mines that are interconnected by tunnels, generating a chain blow.

Explosions in a mine in Sutatausa, Colombia. AP photo.

In Colombia, emergencies in coal mines are common, especially due to explosions or landslides.

With information from agencies

DB​

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