Rescuers are trying to rescue the 11 miners trapped inside a flooded gold mine since last Friday in Neira, Caldas, Columbia. The miners are trapped inside a 17-meter (55-foot) deep shaft flooded in heavy rain.
The mishap was reported on March 26 and various agencies are working together in the rescue operation. According to the National Mining Agency (ANM) rescuers are working with electric pumps to remove water from the mine.
Luis Velasquez, Governor of the Northwestern Caldas told reporters that the authorities are hoping to rescue the miners in less than 48 hours.
Diego Mesa, Minister of Mines and Energy, said that the missing miners had been involved in “unauthorized” activity.
Mining accidents are common in the Latin American country of Colombia where people resort to illegal gold mining as the income from mining exceeds that of drug trafficking. According to the ANM 33 illegal miners lost their lives this year. Last year it was 171. ANM has urged all miners in the country to abide by safety protocols to avoid such mishaps.
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