At least 25 miners were trapped in the pit of a gold mine in the Colombian municipality of Segovia, in the department of Antioquia, northwest of Colombia, the National Mining Agency (ANM), the country's mining authority, reported Tuesday.

"Currently, communication is maintained Permanent monitoring of the trapped miners is underway, and gas measurements are being taken inside the mine, which are found to be in normal conditions. It is estimated that the 25 workers can be evacuated during the course of the day,” the ANM said in a statement.

The workers were trapped in the La Reliquia mine, in the municipality of Segovia, after a collapse at the mine operated by the Canadian company Aris Mining.

The Canadian company assured that the ventilation systems continue to function “normally” and the workers are receiving “telephone medical assistance.” All are "in good health.”

A geomechanical failure

"This mining emergency, caused by a geomechanical failure, is being attended to by firefighters from the Aris Mining company and by the ANM's Mining Safety and Rescue team since it was reported," the mining authority added.

This emergency was reminiscent of the one that occurred on June 18 of this year in another mine in Segovia, where 18 miners were trapped for hours but were finally rescued safe and sound.

In this context, last Saturday the Civil Defense reported that, after nine days of rescue efforts, seven miners working in an illegal gold mine in Santander de Quilichao, in the department of Cauca (southwest), were found dead after a landslide.