Colombia's coal mining accident

As very few people out there seem to give a shit about this, let's try again. Here's the always good Alonso Soto of Reuters on this horrible accident that would be headline news if the people who died spoke English or if the country of the accident wasn't high on the lovelist of people who speak English and want no evil spoken of its loveliness.

Hopes fade for survivors after Colombia mine blast

Jun 19, 2010 14:51 EDT

BOGOTA (Reuters) – Relatives of Colombian miners trapped in a coal mine began to lose hope of finding them alive on Saturday, three days after a blast buried 50 workers and killed at least 19 others.

Rescuers struggled with debris and gas after the explosion in northwestern Antioquia province late on Wednesday. Emergency workers tried to reach deep into the mine but said there was little chance of finding any miners alive 6,500 feet (2,000 metres) below the surface.

“The last thing you lose is hope, but we have no certainty or evidence that there are people alive down there,” said Alfredo Munoz, head of emergency services in Antioquia. “Rescue operations continue, but the gas buildup is slowing efforts.”

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe met relatives of the dead and missing in Amaga, a poor, rural town where the casualties were being buried in mass outdoor funerals.

“It has been hard to pull out the bodies, hopes are fading now,” said Byron Ossa, a police officer waiting for news of a missing relative who worked at the mine.

Uribe’s visit came a day before Colombians pick a new president in elections, putting in the spotlight on mining safety regulations. Colombia’s mining industry ranges from huge deposits run by multinationals to hundreds of small, makeshift pits that produce coal for continues here