Emergency at illegal mine in Amagá, Antioquia, left one dead and six intoxicated

A strong methane explosion inside an illegal coal mine located in Minas, in Amagá, southwestern Antioquia, killed one person and six others ended up being poisoned by the high concentration of carbon monoxide (CO) there.

It was around noon this Saturday, April 9, in a sinkhole called El Eucalyptus 2 where, according to the report delivered by Salvamento Minero, there were the presence of lifeguards coordinated by the National Mining Agency (ANM), three workers were able to leave by their own means and one more was hit by the explosion and died.

According to a report by the National Mining Agency, the three miners mentioned were able to leave by their own means after the emergency, but Edgar Carmona, the only fatal victim, was hit by the explosion. The rescue could be carried out around 5 in the afternoon.

“When the event occurs, three more people enter to try to rescue the worker who did not go out and were also affected by the high concentrations of CO (carbon monoxide)”, can be read in the ANM report.

The three miners who entered the sinkhole were intoxicated by the inhalation of gases. After the events, they were transferred to the hospital in Amagá.

According to RCN News, Juan Fernando Chaverra Palacios, Secretary of Government of Amagá, reported that when the authorities received the emergency report, it was attended by four fire units and three nursing assistants. “The fourth miner victim of the accident in our municipality was unfortunately found dead,” Chaverra said.

Likewise, the National Mining Agency explained that mining relief workers were sent to the scene and equipment and an engineer from the Caldas headquarters, Antioquia, were moved.

In addition, Chaverra reported that the mayor of the municipality, Leonardo Molina, arrived in the area of the mining emergency, who was attending other critical points that this municipality currently has due to the strong winter wave that is being experienced.

On the afternoon of March 29, a hit attack that occurred in the municipality of Amagá, in Antioquia, which left two men as victims who were shot by armed men mobilizing on a motorcycle.

The events occurred in the Camilo C sector. Authorities reported that the criminals shot directly at a 22-year-old boy, but a stray bullet injured another 42-year-old man, who died instantly while he was doing carpentry work.

According to information given by the Government Secretariat, the murder occurred due to a settling of accounts related to microtrafficking in this municipality, so Chaverra believes that this could be the beginning of a wave of violence in Amagá.

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