An explosion yesterday at a coal mine near Bogotá, Colombia has left nine miners dead and six more in hospital, with one in a serious condition. 

The incident took place at the La Trinidad mine at 3PM local time in the town of Sutatausa, 44 miles north of Bogotá.

The accident happened despite the National Mining Agency (ANM) saying it warned of gas leaks at the site after an inspection of the mine on April 9.

Following the explosion, fifteen miners were trapped at a depth of around 600m below the surface. Three of the miners were able to exit the mine by their own means, while a further three were brought out alive after around an hour, according to the mayor of Sutatausa, Jhonatan Ojeda, speaking to El Dorado Radio.

The six surviving miners were taken to Ubaté Regional Hospital, where five were found to be in a stable condition, though showing signs of inhalation of toxic gases. 

But the sixth survivor was reported this morning to be in a grave condition with possible central nervous system damage. He was kept alive by means of invasive mechanical ventilation until he could be transported to a critical care center at the Fundación Santa Fe in Bogotá.

The manager of the hospital at Ubaté thanked the governor and the ambulance service for the speed of their response.

A press release from the ANM confirmed that the emergency was caused by an accidental explosion inside the gallery of the section called La Ciscuda.

“The National Mining Agency expresses its solidarity with the families of the victims and regrets this mining accident in which, thanks to timely rescue efforts, six miners were rescued alive.”

The ANM have confirmed that their operatives visited the mine in question on April 9 and noted issues concerning the accumulation of gas, management of coal dust, and ventilation processes. 

The inspectors delivered a list of safety recommendations to be enacted within thirty days. Twenty-five days had passed between the inspection and the accident. It is not yet clear which of the recommended safety measures had been taken. The mine is operated by the company Carbonera Los Pinos.

This is the second mining-related tragedy to afflict the town of Sutatausa in recent years. In March 2023, 21 miners were killed in an explosion at the El Hoyo coal mine, also caused by a build-up of gas.

Featured image description: Photograph of a section of the remaining tunnel at State Mine.

Featured image credit: Wikimedia Commons.

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