Rescuers removed the bodies of 11 miners from under the rubble of a collapsed gold mine, said the head of the National Mining Agency, Juan Miguel Duran.
“We thank the entire Colombian National Mines Agency rescue team, local authorities and staff for recovering the bodies of 11 young people who were trapped in an illegal mine for 24 days,” Duran wrote in Twitter April 19th.
A todo el equipo de Salvamento minero @ANMColombia, autoridades locales y colaboradores les damos las GRACIAS por el rescate de los cuerpos de los 11 jóvenes atrapados durante 24 días en la mina no autorizada de Neira, Caldas. Gracias por su dedicación, paciencia y esmero. pic.twitter.com/8lhsqxPtJ5
– Juan Miguel Durán P. (@JuanMiguelDuran) April 18, 2021
The collapse of a mine in the municipality of Neira, Department of Caldas, became known on March 27. Then it was reported that at least 15 miners were under the rubble. The cause of the emergency was the descent of a landslide.
There are more than 10 thousand mines in the country, with most of them recognized as illegal. Due to safety violations, numerous incidents occur at mining sites.