Five dead, four trapped in Colombia mining accidents

BOGOTA - Five miners died and four were trapped in accidents in two coal mines in central Colombia, officials said Wednesday.

The accidents took place Tuesday in rural areas of the municipalities of Lenguazaque and Guacheta, in the province of Cundinamarca of which Bogota is the capital.

The director of Cundinamarca’s Emergency Prevention Office, Jaime Matiz, said the accident in Lenguazaque, caused by a sudden lack of oxygen, claimed the lives of two miners and left four trapped. The four were later rescued alive.

In Guacheta, 11 miners were trapped after an explosion. Of these, three were found dead and four were rescued alive with minor injuries. Matiz said teams were working to rescue the four missing miners, but they were encountering difficulties.

“We are not losing hope, but working conditions are not easy,” he said.