Members of the Technical Investigation Corps carry a body outside a coal mine after an explosion in Tasco, Colombia
BOGOTA, March 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The death toll rose to 13 from Saturday’s explosion inside the La Chapa coal mine in the Colombian municipality of Tasco in the Boyaca department after two more bodies were found, local authorities said Monday.
The two bodies were found on Monday after a 36-hour search operation by more than 50 rescuers.
Preliminary information from Tasco authorities showed that the explosion was generated by the accumulation of methane gas.
Juan Cusba, mayor of Tasco, lamented the event and ordered to tighten security measures in the municipality.
The president of the National Mining Agency (ANM), Silvana Habib Daza confirmed that the coal mine was illegally mining as it did not have environmental authorisation to do so.
Mining deputy minister Carlos Andres Cante issued a call for prevention of such accident and safety guarantees for miners, along with the adherence to protocols and the avoidance of illegal operations.
“We want tragedies such as this one not to occur again, and for those who are exploiting minerals to do so legally, complying with all safety standards,” Cante said.
The mining ministry said that with the end of rescue operations, an investigation will be launched by the ANM to determine the cause of the accident, who – if anyone – bears responsibility and what the appropriate punishment should be.
Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos, upon his arrival on Saturday night in Bogota after an official four-day trip to France, expressed his regret over the accident.
“I would like to express our condolences, our thought, our hearts are with your families,” said the president at the Catam Air Base upon his arrival. — NNN-AGENCIES
