A gas explosion occurred at six adjoining coal mines in central Colombia on March 14, killing 11 workers and trapping 10 underground.

Cundinamarca provincial governor Nicola Garcia said the trapped workers were between 700 and 900 meters below ground, and more than 100 rescue workers had joined the search. Two people had already been rescued and seven escaped unaided.

President Gustavo Petro expressed his solidarity with the victims and their families, saying "we are making every effort with the government of Cundinamarca to rescue the people who are trapped alive."

Serious accidents are all too common in Colombia's coal and gold mines, often due to lack of proper safety measures or the presence of illegal or informal operations. The most recent major accident occurred in June 2010, when 73 people were killed in a mine explosion in the northwest.

Colombia is the fifth largest coal exporter in the world. The country exported 60.93 million tonnes of coal in 2022, up 2.2% from a year earlier. Full-year production rose 10% to 65.3 million tonnes.

(Writing by Alex Guo  Editing by Harry Huo)
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