At least twelve miners were trapped after an explosion in a coal mine in Sutatausa, a municipality in central Colombia, on Monday afternoon, officials said. Authorities said the blast happened after gases accumulated in the mine. By Monday night, rescue efforts were underway at the site with workers and ambulances responding.
Cundinamarca Governor Jorge Emilio Rey said in a post on X that there were 15 miners inside the mine when the explosion occurred. He added that three miners were able to escape “on their own,” and one of the escapees was taken to a hospital, according to his statement.
The mine is located about 46 miles (74 km) from Bogota, the capital, and roughly 8,200 feet (2,500 meters) above sea level, officials said. Sutatausa is in the same province where mining accidents have previously caused deaths, including explosions that trapped and killed miners.
Officials said rescue teams arrived Monday to assist the miners trapped underground. While the authorities did not provide details on the cause of the gas buildup beyond attributing it to gas accumulation, the response focused on getting help to the men inside the mine.
Mining accidents are common in central Colombia, where dozens of small operators run coal and emerald mines, officials said. In 2023, 11 miners were killed by an explosion at another coal mine in Sutatausa, and in 2020, 11 miners died in a mining accident in Cucunuba, another municipality in the Cundinamarca province.