Colombia Mine Blast Leave 20 Feared Dead

[Derechos]

SARDINATA, Colombia — An explosion likely caused by a methane gas buildup ripped through an underground coal mine in Colombia during a shift change Wednesday, killing 21 workers, officials said. A similar fatal blast occurred at the same mine four years ago.

Five of the victims died at the mine's entrance and by afternoon two bodies had been removed from the mine with another 14 left to recover, said the provincial Colombian Red Cross director, Johel Enrique Rodriguez.

He told The Associated Press that rescuers had seen the rest of the bodies, which he said were covered in burns and scattered throughout the kilometer-long (0.6 mile-long) tunnel that extended horizontally beneath a verdant mountain.

Gabriel Tamayo, manager of the La Preciosa mine in Sardinata, 255 miles (410 kilometers) northeast of the capital, Bogota, would not speculate on the cause.

But Colombian Red Cross rescue chief Carlos Ivan Marquez said preliminary indications pointed to a methane gas buildup. A methane buildup was believed to have caused of an explosion at the mine in 2007 that killed 32 miners.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/26/colombia-la-precios-coal-mine_n_814528.html

[Peace Patriot]

1. '...would not speculate on the cause." Hm. Fascist rule?

"Gabriel Tamayo, manager of the La Preciosa mine in Sardinata, 255 miles (410 kilometers) northeast of the capital, Bogota, would not speculate on the cause."

"A methane buildup was believed to have caused of an explosion at the mine in 2007 that killed 32 miners."


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Might have something to do with the slaughter of hundreds of union leaders in Colombia, about half of the murders committed by the Colombian military itself and the other half by its closely tied rightwing paramilitary death squads (--according to Amnesty International)--and with Alvaro Uribe's illegal domestic spying...on union leaders (among others), to draw up lists for the death squads. Uribe is now coddled and protected by the U.S. government (probably because the Bush Junta had fingers in the spying and the death squads).

You raise your head in a worker safety or other 'leftist' cause in Colombia, chances are you'll get it shot off. That could be why nothing was done about the methane threat the first time--and why so many miners have been killed in Colombia. There was just another big death toll of miners in Colombia, recently, shortly after the Chilean miners' rescue. Chile SHUT DOWN THE MINE. Even Chile's rightwing billionaire president felt obliged to do this, and to throw all his energy into rescuing those trapped miners, who, though buried 3 miles in and 2,000+ feet down, had an emergency shelter in the mine, where they found refuge--no doubt because of previous labor agitation and responsive (socialist) government. After the 33 miners were finally brought up, in that miraculous rescue, Chile's president pledged himself to miner safety and worker safety in general. This is what happens in a democracy. This is what happens where there are labor rights--including the right to live!--and strong unions. And this is what has NOT been happening in Colombia. U.S. multinationals can't wait to get "free trade for the rich" in that county. It's all set up for them to make maximum profits at worker expense--all paid for by U.S. tax dollars ($7 BILLION in U.S. military aid to Colombia!).

[Judi Lynn]

2. Dangerous country for workers who hope to work in safe places for decent wages.

They are the first ones to go, after seasons of death threats first. How dare they even dream of organizing for better, safer working conditions, for enough money for food for their families?

They need to be used for lessons to the others when it's learned they've been trying to get better conditions for the working man/woman. They can count on it.

Bad place for honest, hard-working men and women.