BOGOTA, Colombia
Mine blast kills at least 16
A coal mine explosion in northwestern Colombia killed at least 16 miners and left dozens trapped more than 10 hours later, President Alvaro Uribe said Thursday.

The Wednesday night explosion at the San Fernando mine, believed to have been caused by a buildup of methane gas, collapsed part of an access tunnel that is more than a mile long and drops to a depth of 500 feet, said provincial disaster coordinator John Rendon.

Two injured miners managed to escape from the mine in Amaga. An estimated 70 to 80 workers were in the mine at the moment of the explosion “because by chance it happened during a shift change,â€

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Scott K
"Watch Your Top"