Seven people dead after Colombia mine explosion

BOGOTA: The death toll from the coal mine explosion in Colombia’s Cucunuba municipality has gone up to seven, according to a Colombian media report.

La FM radio, cited by Sputnik news agency, reported that a total of eleven people were under the rubble following the blast, and four of them have been rescued. The bodies of three miners were brought to the surface earlier this week, while another four bodies were discovered on Friday.

The explosion at three linked coal mines in Cucunuba occurred on Thursday, April 20. Rescue workers have temporarily stopped their operation in order to ventilate the mines following the accumulation of gasses.

There are over 10,000 mines in Colombia, a lot of them illegal. Safety violations have led to numerous incidents at mining sites in the country.