Colombia mine collapse kills 24
Pastor Dale Morgan
Colombia mine collapse kills 24*
BBC - At least 24 Colombians have died and many more are missing after a
mine accident in the south-west of the country, officials say.
Efforts are underway to rescue those thought to be trapped underground.
The gold mine is near the town of Suarez, about 350km (220 miles) from
the capital, Bogota.
Local residents were mining for gold with few security measures in
place, local radio reported.
Rescue efforts have reportedly been hampered by the fact that there was
no record of how many people had entered the mine.
"There are still a lot of people to rescue, and we don't know what
conditions they're in," a local policeman told AP news agency.
"Initially they said there were around 50 people trapped," he added.
The small, locally operated mine allows local people to search for gold
in the pit during weekends when normal mining operations are suspended.
In February a gas explosion at a coal mine in north-eastern Colombia
killed 32 miners.
BBC correspondents say there are few safety measures at the makeshift
mines common in much of Colombia.