BOGOTA, Aug 25 (NNN-Xinhua) — A methane gas explosion at a coal mine in central Colombia left at least four people dead, another injured and seven miners trapped underground on Tuesday, authorities said.
According to the state-run National Mining Agency (ANM), the blast at the mine in the town of Topaga was “associated with methane gas and possibly coal dust.”
“Four workers have been located so far, unfortunately without vital signs,” the agency said in a press release.
“We are working on the search and rescue of the other seven workers, who have not yet been located,” it added.
Rescue workers installed fans in the mine to funnel oxygen to the trapped workers as officials from the Topaga mayor’s office, police force, Red Cross and Civil Defense gathered at the site to help.
The “Carbonera” mine is licensed, the agency said. — NNN-XINHUA
