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| Gas blast traps Colombian miners | Gas blast traps Colombian miners |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| At least three miners have been killed and some 27 others are trapped after a gas blast in a coal mine in Colombia, officials say. | At least three miners have been killed and some 27 others are trapped after a gas blast in a coal mine in Colombia, officials say. |
| They say rescuers have not yet been able to enter the mine, in a remote north-eastern area, because of the continued presence of gas pockets. | They say rescuers have not yet been able to enter the mine, in a remote north-eastern area, because of the continued presence of gas pockets. |
| A local civil defence commander says hopes of freeing the miners buried in two separate tunnels are not great. | A local civil defence commander says hopes of freeing the miners buried in two separate tunnels are not great. |
| The mine is located near the town of San Roque in Norte de Santander state. | The mine is located near the town of San Roque in Norte de Santander state. |
| The morning blast was caused by "some spark and the gas that was inside", Fernando Rosales, Norte de Santander's civil defence chief, told the Associated Press news agency. | The morning blast was caused by "some spark and the gas that was inside", Fernando Rosales, Norte de Santander's civil defence chief, told the Associated Press news agency. |
| Colombia's civil defence authorities appealed on national radio for a gas extractor to help remove large quantities of trapped methane. | |
| "There is a lot of gas inside and we're in the process of trying to get it out to see if rescue crews can go inside," Mr Rosales said. | "There is a lot of gas inside and we're in the process of trying to get it out to see if rescue crews can go inside," Mr Rosales said. |
| 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. |