The death toll after an explosion at a coal mine in central Colombia has risen to 21. "Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of rescue workers, 21 people lost their lives in this tragic accident in Sutatausa," Colombian President Gustavo Petro wrote on Twitter on Thursday.

The ten buried people have been found, reported Colombian media, citing authorities. President Petro had already regretted eleven deaths on Wednesday night.

Firefighters, Red Cross, civil defense, the National Mining Agency ANM and other responders were involved in the rescue and recovery efforts. Now the ten bodies found are also to be recovered. "Machines cannot be used because they could damage the structure of the mines and cause even worse collapses," said Cundinamarca Governor Nicolás García Bustos. According to the Colombian newspaper "El Tiempo", escaping gases had made the work more difficult.

According to initial information from the fire department, several interconnected mines were filled with methane gas and coal dust, which led to the explosion and a chain reaction. The mining agency ANM announced that it would suspend the official permit to operate the mine and investigate the causes of the explosion.

Time and again, serious accidents occur in mines in Colombia, which are often poorly secured. After the ban on imports of Russian coal into the EU because of the Ukraine war, the country is currently one of Germany's largest coal suppliers. Illegal mining is also a major problem in many Latin American countries.