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| Colombia mine gas blast kills 18 | Colombia mine gas blast kills 18 |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| A gas explosion at a coal mine in north-eastern Colombia has killed at least 18 miners. | A gas explosion at a coal mine in north-eastern Colombia has killed at least 18 miners. |
| Officials said they were trying to reach another 14 men who were trapped underground, but their efforts were being hampered by the presence of gas. | Officials said they were trying to reach another 14 men who were trapped underground, but their efforts were being hampered by the presence of gas. |
| "It would be a miracle if they were alive," the head of the rescue attempt told Reuters news agency. | "It would be a miracle if they were alive," the head of the rescue attempt told Reuters news agency. |
| The La Preciosa mine is located near the town of San Roque in Norte de Santander state. | |
| The rescue effort resumed early on Sunday after being suspended overnight. | The rescue effort resumed early on Sunday after being suspended overnight. |
| The blast on Saturday was caused by "some spark and the gas that was inside", Fernando Rosales, Norte de Santander's civil defence chief said . | The blast on Saturday was caused by "some spark and the gas that was inside", Fernando Rosales, Norte de Santander's civil defence chief said . |
| Colombia's civil defence authorities appealed on national radio for a gas extractor to help remove large quantities of trapped methane. | Colombia's civil defence authorities appealed on national radio for a gas extractor to help remove large quantities of trapped methane. |
| Norte de Santander is an area contested by left-wing rebels and far-right paramilitary militias fighting a decades-old guerrilla war. | Norte de Santander is an area contested by left-wing rebels and far-right paramilitary militias fighting a decades-old guerrilla war. |
| 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. |