Death Toll In Colombian Coal
Mine Blast Reaches 20
SAN FERNANDO, Colombia - The death toll in a
coal mine blast in northwestern Colombia has
reached 20 and over 50 others were still
trapped underground, disaster relief
officials said on Thursday.
Luz Amanda Pulido, director of disaster
prevention, said the hope of finding
survivors was "very dim."
Smoke was seen at the mine entrance after an
explosion ripped through the mine early
Thursday in Amaga town in northwestern
Antioquia province, some 240 km northwest of
the capital Bogota.
Antioquia's Governor Luis Alfredo Ramos said
the blast was apparently caused by gas
accumulation, which had also hampered relief
efforts.
Ramos said the explosion took place while
the workers were changing shifts at the
1,500-meter-deep mine.
Describing the incident as a "huge tragedy,"
Colombian President Alvaro Uribe said, "This
is very serious. I tell Colombians this news
with much pain."
The most serious accident in the coal-rich
Amaga occurred in 1977, when as many as 86
miners working in another coal mine were
killed in an explosion.
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