BOGOTA — Four miners were found dead after an explosion in an underground coal deposit in central Colombia, where another similar accident left nine dead a week ago, the governor of the department of Cundinamarca reported on Sunday.
“The four miners who were trapped in the #LasQuintas mine” in the municipality of Cucunubá were found dead, said Jorge Emilio Rey, governor of Cundinamarca (whose capital is Bogotá), on the social network X, who previously reported that the workers were trapped by an explosion that occurred on Saturday.
“Illegal exploitations”
Mining accidents are constant in this Colombian region where coal and emeralds are exploited and usually occur due to poor ventilation in the mines and more frequently in illegal or artisanal exploitations.
The miners would have been trapped about 500 meters deep in the deposit located in the village of Pueblo Viejo (Cundinamarca), according to local media.
Last Monday, an explosion occurred in another underground coal mine in the municipality of Sutatausa (Cundinamarca), leaving nine dead and six rescued.
“We deeply regret that a new accident with fatalities has occurred in mining activities and we express our solidarity with the families of the deceased workers,” said Rey.
He added that the Las Quintas gallery had a mining title and environmental license granted last December.
Mines also operate in Cundinamarca without permits that fail to comply with safety conditions.
Six other workers died in February after an explosion at an illegal coal mine in Guachetá, in the municipality of Sutatusa.
