At least four miners have died following an explosion at a coal mine in Colombia, marking the second deadly mining incident reported in the country within a week. Authorities confirmed that the victims were trapped underground after the blast occurred at the Las Quintas mine in the municipality of Cucunuba on Sunday, May 10th, Rescue teams later recovered the bodies from the site after hours of emergency operations.

Jorge Emilio Rey, governor of the Cundinamarca department, confirmed the deaths through a public statement, saying the trapped miners had been found inside the mine. Emergency workers and regional rescue teams continued operations in the area while investigators worked to determine the exact cause of the explosion. The latest tragedy comes shortly after another deadly mining accident in Colombia claimed the lives of nine workers in the Sutatausa region, north of Bogotá.

According to Colombia’s national mining agency, the earlier explosion was likely caused by a dangerous buildup of gases inside the tunnels. Officials revealed that mine operators had previously received safety recommendations following an inspection conducted less than a month before the incident. During that inspection, authorities reportedly warned about potentially hazardous gas accumulation that could increase the risk of explosions underground.

Mining accidents remain a recurring problem in Colombia, particularly in coal and gold mines operating with limited oversight or insufficient safety infrastructure. Many mining operations in rural regions function informally, raising concerns about ventilation systems, gas monitoring, emergency preparedness, and worker protection standards. Rescue workers in the latest incident continued efforts to secure the area while survivors received medical treatment at nearby hospitals.

Regional fire department captain Álvaro Farfán said emergency teams were focused on completing recovery operations and ensuring no additional workers remained trapped inside the damaged mine shafts. Authorities have not yet announced whether mining activities at the site will remain suspended pending the investigation.

wing an explosion at a coal mine in Colombia, marking the second deadly mining incident reported in the country within a week. Authorities confirmed that the victims were trapped underground after the blast occurred at the Las Quintas mine in the municipality of Cucunuba on Sunday. Rescue teams later recovered the bodies from the site after hours of emergency operations.

Jorge Emilio Rey, governor of the Cundinamarca department, confirmed the deaths through a public statement, saying the trapped miners had been found inside the mine. Emergency workers and regional rescue teams continued operations in the area while investigators worked to determine the exact cause of the explosion. The latest tragedy comes shortly after another deadly mining accident in Colombia claimed the lives of nine workers in the Sutatausa region, north of Bogotá.