Five mining workers died following an explosion in a coal mine in Samaca municipality of central Columbia.
According to reports, the explosion occurred in the mine due to excessive accumulation of gases at the mine owned by Cnarbones Adinos.
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The rescue teams are working to recover the bodies of the workers. They were sent to the Laureles mine outside the village of Chorrera to search for the bodies.
Boyaca province head of disaster management Alirio Rozo was cited by Latin American Tribune as saying that mine still holds a large concentration of methane gas.
He said: "All of the rescue protocols are being followed so the rescue teams are not endangered as they try to remove the bodies of the miners."
According to preliminary hypothesis, the mine tunnel collapsed due to the blast, trapping the mining workers inside.
Colombian mining company Carbones Andinos has been mining coal since the 1960s.
The company employs about 500 people in its Boyacá mine to dig medium- and low-volatile coal through underground operations.
Boyacá mine has an annual capacity to produce 240,000 MT/year, which is planned to be increased to 450,000 MT/year by end of this year. The mine is estimated to have a reserve of 20 million tonnes.
Prensa Latina reported that during the last four years mine accidents killed over 500 Colombians.
In May, an underground gold mine in Riosucio in Colombia’s Caldas province flooded and trapped at least 15 workers.
