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Colombia mine gas blast kills 32 Colombia mine gas blast kills 32
(about 9 hours later)
A gas explosion at a coal mine in north-eastern Colombia has killed 32 miners, officials say.A gas explosion at a coal mine in north-eastern Colombia has killed 32 miners, officials say.
Twenty-two bodies have been recovered, but rescue workers said 10 others who were still missing could not have survived the force of the blast. All the bodies have been recovered and brought to the surface to be identified by the waiting relatives.
They added that the shafts were still filled with deadly gases. The blast occurred on Saturday at La Preciosa mine, about 580km (360 miles) north of the capital, Bogota.
The explosion occurred at La Preciosa mine near the town of San Roque in Norte de Santander district, about 580km (360 miles) north of Bogota. President Alvaro Uribe visited the site to speak to the miners' families and assure them that the tragedy would be fully investigated.
Four bodies were recovered immediately after the explosion on Saturday. Asphyxiated
Rescue operations were suspended overnight, but resumed on Sunday, when another 18 bodies were found. The blast took place at the makeshift mine near the town of San Roque in Norte de Santander province.
The blast was caused by "some spark and the gas that was inside", Fernando Rosales, Norte de Santander's civil defence chief said . It was caused by "some spark and the gas that was inside", provincial civil defence chief Fernando Rosales said.
One miner is reported to have been injured in the explosion. Rescue crews struggled for more than a day to reach an area about 400m (1,300ft) underground where the miners were trapped.
The government said it was stepping up its supervision of Colombia's mines. They were continually driven back by gases and the unstable nature of the mine.
By the time they found the miners they were all dead, asphyxiated by methane gas.
President Uribe told the grieving relatives that the government would help them get social security benefits after the loss of their loved ones.
The authorities said they were also stepping up their supervision of Colombia's mines.
In 2001, a gas explosion in northern Colombia caused part of a coal mine to collapse, killing 15 workers underground.In 2001, a gas explosion in northern Colombia caused part of a coal mine to collapse, killing 15 workers underground.
In 1997, 16 miners were buried alive after a blast at coal mine in the same region in what was the country's worst mine disaster.In 1997, 16 miners were buried alive after a blast at coal mine in the same region in what was the country's worst mine disaster.