At least 11 killed in coal mine explosion in Colombia

International Desk: At least 11 people were killed in an explosion in a coal mine in the South American country of Colombia. Another 10 people were trapped underground in this incident. Rescuers are working hard to rescue the victims. Qatar-based media Al Jazeera reported Thursday (March 16) citing the governor of Colombia's Cundinamarca province. According to the report, the explosion occurred in a coal mine in the municipality of Sutatausa, 74 km (46 miles) north of the capital Bogota. Governor Nicolas Garcia told Blue Radio on Wednesday. The explosion was originally caused by gas after a worker's tools created a spark in the mine.

Al Jazeera says that the explosion in the mine happened on Tuesday night local time. "People are trapped 700 to 900 meters (2,300 to 3,000 feet) underground," Nicolas Garcia told reporters. Two people have already been rescued and seven people managed to get out without any help. The governor said that hundreds of rescue workers are working to rescue the trapped miners. He said, "Every minute that passes in rescuing workers means oxygen is running out." Meanwhile, in a message posted on Twitter, Colombian President Gustavo Petro confirmed that 11 people died in the mine explosion and called it a "tragedy." He said, " We are making all-out efforts with the Kundinamarka government to rescue the trapped people alive.

Condolences to the victims and their families. Joselito Rodriguez, a 33-year-old survivor of the explosion, told AFP by telephone that he felt a sudden 'tremor' while working. In his words, 'Then I felt like suffocating and I couldn't see anything.' He added, 'Thank God we got out safely, but others died.' Colombia has numerous open and underground gold and coal mines, says AFP. And so often there are various accidents. Most of these mines operate illegally or lack adequate safety measures. In June 2010, an explosion at a mine in northwestern Colombia killed 73 people. In addition, in 2021, 148 people lost their lives in mining accidents in this South American country.

 

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