BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Twenty-three employees had been rescued Wednesday after spending 43 hours trapped in a collapsed underground gold mine in northern Colombia. The miners had been met with applause as they emerged from the La Reliquia mine, positioned within the Antioquia division.
Colombia’s Nationwide Mining Company reported that the primary entrance to the mine had collapsed on Monday attributable to a “geomechanical failure.” A video launched by the ANM reveals the primary rescued miners strolling out below their very own energy, utilizing a rope to climb the steep entrance to the shaft. Their well being standing was not instantly disclosed.
The miners’ households had been ready for hours and celebrated their rescue with tears and applause.
The mine is on land belonging to Canada’s Aris Mining Corp. however is operated by an area mining cooperative. Aris Mining stated earlier that it had supplied the trapped employees with meals, water and air flow throughout the rescue efforts. The mine has about 60 workers and accounts for a “small portion” of the corporate’s whole gold manufacturing within the space.
Aris runs two mining concessions in Colombia, which final 12 months produced about 6.6 tons of gold. Colombia’s gold manufacturing climbed to 67 tons per 12 months in 2024, supported by excessive costs for the dear metallic.
A report printed in 2023 by Colombia’s Human Rights Ombudsman stated that greater than 80% of Colombia’s gold is mined by casual operators with no licenses, together with artisanal miners but additionally members of insurgent teams.
The precarious situations at some gold mines in Colombia have led to deadly accidents. On Saturday the our bodies of seven miners had been discovered at an unlawful mine in Cauca province. Rescue groups took 9 days to succeed in the trapped employees.
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Comply with AP’s protection of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
