Three dead in Colombia mine collapse

Bogota, May 2 (IANS/EFE) Three people were killed and at least 20 trapped when an illegal gold mine collapsed in Santander de Quilichao, a city in the Colombian province of Cauca, officials said Thursday.

The collapse occurred Wednesday night in the rural district of San Antonio, Cauca Governor Temistocles Ortega told RCN La Radio. Eight miners injured in the collapse have been pulled out of the mine, Ortega said.

"A collapse occurred at the mine around midnight yesterday. Three bodies have been recovered, there are eight people injured and we are working with emergency services in case there are more victims of the disaster," said the governor.

The mine where the accident happened is an open pit and the slope collapsed, burying the miners.

Officials have complained about illegal mining, but the mine was not closed "because of inefficiency on the part of the state", the governor said.

Santander de Quilichao emergency management office director Graciela Tovar said they did not know how many people were trapped and were depending on estimates from people who worked at the mine.

Many people entered the mine at night to avoid being detected by police because they were breaking the law, Tovar said.

--IANS/EFE

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