At 10:30 a.m. on this holiday Monday, a strong explosion was recorded inside the La Mestiza mine located in the rural area of the municipality of El Zulia in Norte de Santander, where 15 people were trapped, said Secretary of Health Gerson Hoyos.
Initially, one of the miners who was at the entrance of the mine with the car was rescued, according to the report of the authorities, he has first and second degree burns. with 80% of his body compromised and was transferred to the Cúcuta hospital.
They were later believed to have saved another workerbut it was a false alarm, since it was a member of the Civil Defense who had suffered a slight mishap.
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During the night hours of this Monday, 14 workers are still trapped inside the mine, According to relief agencies, it has not been possible to enter the sinkhole due to the strong expansion of gases.
“Mine rescue is in the mine, where the security protocol was activated with the installation of a compressor whose objective is to lower the level of gases, it is difficult because of the depth of the mine,” Hoyos told RCN Mundo.
The municipality has three ambulances, one in the Y sector, and the other two in El Zulia, where the staff is ready to mobilize the wounded who Depending on how the rescue work goes, they would be transferred to Cúcuta due to the severity of their burns.
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“As time goes on, it becomes an enemy, it’s a factor against workers who require oxygen to breathe.God willing, progress can be made and all the workers who were trapped in the mine can be saved,” said Secretary of Health Gerson Hoyos.
In less than two months, it is the second incident that has been recorded with a coal mine in Norte de Santander. On March 30, in the district of Las Mercedes in the municipality of Sardinata, two miners lost their lives. The victims were identified as Usmel Antonio Sepúlveda, Rodríguez and Henrry José Camelo.
