Blast kills miners in Colombia

At least 20 people were killed and six wounded Wednesday in an explosion at a mine in northeastern Colombia, near the border with Venezuela, the Colombian government runs the Institute of Geology and Mines, known by the acronym INGEOMINAS, he said.

"At that time, staff INGEOMINAS the scene of the emergency situation with a group of rescuers assisted by the Institute of the fifth brigade of the national army, which carried a possible helicopter rescue and transport of victims" , the institute said in a statement.

Previously, the national spokesman for the defense agency said that more miners could still be mine, but the exact number is unknown. Hellen Garcia said authorities believe as many as 30 may have contributed to the explosion.

Garcia said the five injured were taken to two hospitals, but one of them died. Four bodies were removed from the mine, "she said.

The remaining miners is 1,200 meters, almost 4,000 meters underground, rescue and civil defense, Red Cross and government crews expected to last until Thursday, Garcia said.

Yamil Rangel Calderon, Mayor of the municipality Sardinata, and the mine is known as La Preciosa, or The One valuable.

"This is one of the oldest mines in the region and has some of the best safety and quality control," he said. "They have been exporting coal for many years."

Calderon has identified five miners who died Manuel Aparicio, Gustavo Mendez, Gustavo Garcia, Jorge Luis Valdivieso Fuentes and Nelson Velosa.

Explosion occurred around 7:00 am, in San Roque, Alvaro Silva, a government official in Sardinia, said the radio service of the government.

A buildup of methane gas apparently caused the explosion, the governor of the Colombian state of Norte de Santander said the radio service.

2007 in the same coal mine explosion killed 31 people, said Garcia.