They rescue miners who died after an accident inside a sinkhole in Santander

Again, the issue of mines in Colombia is of concern to the authorities, since yesterday there was an accident inside a coal field in the municipality of Sardinata in Santander. Disaster relief agencies were able to rescue one of the two fatalities this Friday, and today, they managed to find the body of the other miner who was in the place. The first versions indicated that this event could be the result of a collapse inside this quarry, however, the tragedy would be the result of an accumulation of gases inside it.

The first victim was identified as 26-year-old Usmel Antonio Sepulveda Rodriguez, who would own the mine. Sepúlveda, was the first victim found inside the mine, according to RCN Radio, the body was transferred to the urban area of the municipality of Sardinata for the corresponding forensic study.

Although the tasks of searching for the other person were difficult, given the poor accessibility of the area and the lack of resources, a few hours ago the second body was rescued, a minor of Venezuelan nationality identified as Henry Cardallo Canelo, aged 17, who would have sought to project his future in this country, following the social crisis that is plaguing the neighboring nation.

According to community reports, the rescue started by the same locals and workers who were on the site, since the El Placer trail in the district of Las Mercedes, is located in a completely isolated area with few access roads, in the middle of a mountainous canyon. Although attempts were made to mediate with the authorities in Cúcuta, the arrival of the relief corps could take more than six hours, which is why the community decided not to wait and start the relief work.

The first hypotheses, as I can establish RCN Radio, point out that the main factor in the death of these two miners, has to do with the accumulation of gases inside the sinkhole, because when they entered yesterday they managed to feel heavy the environment and reported that they felt bad, but after hours they did not leave again the quarry, since they allegedly inhaled those substances that directly caused their death.

The National Mining Agency has warned in recent months about the bonanza of illegal mines, as the high price of coal has put pressure on different citizens to build their own mines illegally, and try to extract minerals for later sale. This situation worries the authorities, considering that security measures are almost nil, a reason that puts workers who seek to excel in the midst of an economic crisis that is plaguing the entire country at risk.

The main factors of accident within the quarries have to do with explosions and gas leakage, this due to the poor handling and absence of protocols by the owners of these quarries, putting in check the same public force that seeks to intervene and close these places. Control operations, most of them are led by the National Army and the Police, who intervene in the mountainous areas of the country in order to destroy the entrances of these mines, taking into account that, in the midst of their production, they manage to pollute the environment by the dumping of liquids, resulting from the extraction of minerals. That is why, despite criticism, the National Government has been moving ahead with the delivery of tenders for the full legal operation of the country's sinkholes.

KEEP READING: