Rescuers recover last 2 bodies after methane blast kills 4 at a Colombia coal mine

BOGOTA, Colombia — Rescuers on Sunday recovered two bodies that remained in a mine in rural central Colombia, where an explosion caused by a buildup of methane gas two days earlier left four people dead, officials said.

The country’s National Mining Agency in a statement on social media said search and rescue operations at the site had ended but an investigation into the explosion continued.

The bodies of the two other victims were recovered Saturday.

The mine is in Chita, a municipality in the department of Boyaca, about 149 miles (240 kilometers) north of Colombia’s capital, Bogota.

A statement from the Chita municipal government identified the site of the explosion as La Victoria coal mine. Security camera footage broadcast by Colombian media showed a massive plume of black smoke and flames rising from the blast.

Mining officials ordered a halt to operations at the site. They have not identified the operator but have said the mine was properly registered with the agency.

The agency has previously warned that gases and dust can accumulate in coal deposits, creating hazardous conditions.

Mining accidents are common in central Colombia, where dozens of small-scale operators run coal and emerald mines.

The mining agency on Sunday reported the death of a worker at another mine in the department of Boyaca. The agency said the worker was trapped by a rockfall, but it did not provide additional details.