BOGOTA, Colombia 

An explosion at a coal mine in Colombia killed 15 miners, the National Mining Agency (ANM) said Monday.

The blast occurred Saturday at the La Chapa mine located in Tasco, Boyaca, about 240 kilometers (149 miles) from the nation’s capital Bogota.

“The ANM reports that search and rescue operations in Tasco, Boyaca were terminated, leaving 15 miners dead. We express our sincere condolences to their families and loved ones,” the agency said Monday on its Twitter account.

The accident was caused by an accumulation of methane gas at the mine, which is operated by Ingecolmaq SAS.

Rescue work began as soon as the explosion occurred. Groups of 14 engineers, eight technicians, 60 mining rescuers and company workers tried to bring the workers out alive.

Bodies were found under the rubble with burns from the explosion.

As of Sunday night, rescue personnel had found 10 bodies. On Monday morning, two more people were found dead at the site of the accident, and later in the day three more bodies were found.

Colombian President Ivan Duque regretted the incident.

“We deeply regret the deaths of the 10 miners in the accident that occurred at the 'La Chapa' mine, located in the municipality of Tasco, #Boyacá,” he said on Twitter.

Tragedies in the mining sector occur regularly in Colombia, which has large coal and emerald reserves. So far this year, there have been 14 mining accidents in the department of Boyaca, which have claimed the lives of 25 people.

In 2021, 130 people lost their lives in mining accidents nationwide, a drop compared to 2020, when 171 fatalities were recorded. Most of these deaths (60%) occurred in illegal mines.