Seven miners from a group of 23 trapped inside a collapsed Colombian gold mine since Monday night have been rescued, authorities said on Wednesday.
The mud-covered miners emerged one by one from the shaft 80 meters (262 feet) underground where they had been trapped, a video posted on X by Colombia’s mining agency showed.
They were cheered on by colleagues above ground.
“The rescue operation continues,” the agency said, alongside a photo of the rescued workers, some still wearing their helmets.
The agency told AFP that it expected to bring the remaining 16 miners to the surface in the coming hours.
La Reliquia mine is situated about four hours from Colombia’s second city of Medellin in the town of Segovia in northwestern Antioquia department.
It is operated by a local cooperative on behalf of Canada’s Aris Mining Corporation.
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The miners had been receiving food, water and oxygen throughout the rescue operation and had been able to communicate with families and rescuers using a wired phone.
The mine’s ventilation system has also continued functioning.
Mining accidents are frequent in Colombia but usually occur at unlicensed mines.
On Sunday, seven miners who had been trapped in an illegal gold mine in southwest Colombia were found dead.
That accident took place in an area where guerrilla groups engage in gold mining, as well as in cocaine trafficking.
