Rescue workers in Colombia are trying to reach three mineworkers who were trapped underground following a landslide on Wednesday 19 August 2020. The incident happened at the El Alisal coal mine near the town of Lenguazaque, in the department of Cundinamarca in the central part of the country, and was caused by an out of control mine truck. The miners are only 23 m below the ground, but recue work has been hampered by an unstable slope, which has now been stabilised, and a large amount of debris, which is still being removed.
The trapped miners are being supplied with food, water, and oxygen through a pipe; oxygen supplies are particularly important in coal mines, as coal is comprised more or less of pure carbon, and therefore reacts freely with oxygen (particularly when in dust form), to create carbon dioxide and (more-deadly) carbon dioxide, while at the same time depleting the supply of oxygen. This means that subterranean coal mines need good ventilation systems, and that fatalities can occur if these break down.
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