A coal mine explosion in Colombia's Cundinamarca province killed nine workers and left six others injured, the national mining agency said on Monday, several weeks after it issued risk control recommendations for the site.
The blast occurred at the La Ciscuda mine, operated by Carbonera Los Pinos. The company could not immediately be reached for comment.
The mining agency said the accident appeared to be caused by a buildup of gases and recommended that the mine strengthen its safety measures during a site visit on April 9, in which it identified gases, including methane, that it said could become dangerous.
"As the ANM has warned during its inspection visits, coal deposits can present accumulations of gases such as methane, as well as concentrations of coal dust,” the agency said in a statement.
The six workers who survived were taken to a regional hospital for treatment.
Serious accidents are common at open-pit and underground coal and gold mines in Colombia, mostly in illegal or informal operations and in those without proper safety measures.
