The incident took place at a coal mine in Colombia on Monday, May 4 at 4:00 p.m. local time
Credit: Handout / Cundinamarca Fire Department / AFP via Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Nine workers died and six were hospitalized after a gas explosion at a coal mine in Sutatausa, Colombia, on Monday, May 4
- The mine had been inspected in April, and safety improvements were recommended, including addressing methane gas risks
- Colombia has faced similar mine accidents in recent years
Nine people have died and six others were injured following a gas explosion at a coal mine in Colombia.
On Monday, May 4, Colombia's national mining agency confirmed in a press release that nine people had lost their lives and six had been rescued following the explosion at the Carbonera Los Pinos SAS- operated La Ciscuda mine in Sutatausa.
“The incident, caused by an explosion inside the mine, left a total of 15 workers affected,” the release read. “The six people evacuated alive were taken to the Ubaté Regional Hospital, where they are receiving medical attention.”
The incident, which was caused by a build-up of gases, took place at 4:00 p.m. local time, according to the BBC.
Regional fire department captain, Álvaro Farfán, told the outlet that rescuers were still trying to recover bodies from the mine.
The mining agency revealed that they inspected the coal mine on April 9 and issued a report on how to improve safety conditions at the site.
Credit: Handout / Cundinamarca Fire Department / AFP via Getty
The recommendations included the need to install barriers in transfer areas following the presence of coal dust. Other suggestions included "complete sealing of abandoned work areas where gas emissions, especially methane, were evident, with the potential to generate dangerous accumulations.”
PEOPLE reached out to the National Mining Agency and the Carbonera Los Pinos SAS for further comment.
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Credit: Luis ACOSTA / AFP via Getty
Mining accidents are common in Colombia, according to the BBC.
In July 2025, 18 miners were rescued from an unauthorized gold mine after a mechanical issue resulted in them being trapped for 18 hours, per the outlet.
Meanwhile, in 2023, 21 people were killed following an explosion in a complex of coal mines in Sutatausa, the BBC reported.
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