Rescuers in Colombia on Saturday recovered the bodies of two workers killed after an explosion in an illegal coal mine, as the search continued for four others who are also believed to have died.
The blast tore through the mine on Friday, trapping six people in Guachetá, in Colombia’s Cundinamarca department, which surrounds the capital Bogotá.
A team of forensic investigators from the attorney general’s office, along with police and firefighters, removed the two bodies on stretchers, AFP reporters observed.
Outside the mine, located in a lush pine forest, relatives of the miners waited as rescue operations continued, wrapped in ponchos to protect themselves from the cold.
Some miners were visibly shaken by the accident involving their colleagues.
“Starting Sunday, I’m not working in mining anymore… I’ve decided to quit and dedicate myself to another profession,” miner Duván Cárdenas, 24, told AFP.
The remaining four miners are believed to have died from a lack of oxygen, Governor Jorge Emilio Rey had previously told Radio Blu.
“The lifeless bodies of two of the six miners have been found,” Rey said in an update posted on social media.
Rescue efforts continued throughout the afternoon as teams used ventilation equipment to “disperse the accumulation of gases” in the mine shaft, Rey said.
High levels of methane gas had hampered earlier rescue attempts.
“We worked all night” to try to rescue the miners, fire department official Alveiro Aguillón told AFP.
Rey said the mine had previously been issued with “closure orders” by the authorities but continued to operate without the proper permits.
Mining accidents are frequent and often deadly in Colombia, particularly in illegal or artisanal mines.
