9 Dead, 6 Rescued After Gas Explosion Rips Through Colombia Coal Mine

(MENAFN) A catastrophic gas explosion tore through a coal mine in central Colombia on Monday, killing nine miners and injuring six others who were subsequently rescued, the country's mining authority confirmed.

The blast struck the La Ciscuda mine in Sutatausa, located in the Cundinamarca department, leaving all 15 workers present at the time of the explosion as casualties. Six survivors were pulled from the site and rushed to a hospital for medical treatment, the National Mining Agency said.

The agency disclosed that a prior inspection conducted on April 9 had already flagged serious safety hazards at the facility, including dangerous gas accumulation and the improper sealing of abandoned mine tunnels. Officials had issued formal recommendations urging improvements to ventilation systems and dust management — warnings that went unheeded before Monday's deadly blast.

Emergency response teams were deployed to the disaster site, with units of the Colombian Red Cross on the ground delivering psychosocial support to the families of the victims and others affected by the tragedy.

Governor Jorge Emilio Rey took to X to express his condolences and solidarity with those impacted, as rescue and recovery operations continued at the stricken mine.

The disaster renews urgent scrutiny over safety standards in Colombia's coal mining sector, where repeated violations and ignored inspection findings have repeatedly preceded fatal incidents.

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