Death toll reaches 34 in Colombia mine blast; nearly 40 workers trapped with little hope

Death toll at 34 in Colombia mine blast

BOGOTA, Colombia — Colombian rescuers have retrieved the bodies of 34 miners killed in last week’s coal mine explosion.

Antioquia state disaster coordinator John Rendon says about 40 workers are still underground. Officials hold out little hope any are still alive.

Rescuers carried out 13 bodies Sunday from deep inside the 1.2-mile (2-kilometer) access tunnel at the San Fernando mine in northwest Colombia. They found two more Monday. The blast occurred Wednesday.

Rendon says debris and the persistent buildup of methane and carbon monoxide gases continue to impede rescue efforts.

The exact cause of the explosion is unknown, but the mine’s records indicate it lacked a methane ventilation pipe and gas-detection device.