A gas explosion inside a coal mine in Chita, a mountain municipality in Colombia’s Boyacá department, killed two miners on Friday afternoon, 13 November 2026, and left two more trapped underground. Colombia’s National Mining Agency (ANM), the national mining regulator, said on Saturday 14 November that its rescue teams were still working at the site.
The four men were inside the tunnel when the blast struck, and the agency says the explosion caused a collapse that is slowing the search. This report sets out what officials have confirmed, and what they have not, with respect for the families of the dead and of the men still missing.
Key Facts
•Deaths. Two miners died after a gas explosion in a coal mine on Friday 13 November 2026.
•Missing. Two more miners remain trapped in Chita, a municipality in Boyacá department.
•Rescue. Teams from the National Mining Agency (ANM) are ventilating the tunnel and reinforcing its supports.
•Cause. Authorities point to methane gas building up underground, and the cause is still being investigated.
•Power Index. Colombia ranks 6th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 51.1 points (November 2026 edition).
What We Know About the Chita Explosion
The explosion happened on Friday afternoon, 13 November 2026, in a mine in the village of La Playa, in the municipality of Chita in Boyacá, according to the ANM. Four workers were inside the shaft, and the agency confirmed that two bodies had been recovered by Saturday.
The other two miners were still unaccounted for on Saturday 14 November, when the ANM said its mine-rescue teams were working without pause. Crews from the agency’s rescue stations, including the one at Nobsa, a town in Boyacá, worked through the night on ventilation and on reinforcing the mine’s supports.
The ANM links the blast to a presumed build-up of methane, the natural gas that collects in coal seams. It said the explosion then brought down part of the tunnel, which makes the rescue slower and more dangerous.
The agency also said the mine sits under title FI6-144 and works under a formalisation subcontract. This is a state scheme that lets small miners work legally under a larger title holder while they bring their operations up to standard.
Why Methane Makes Mine Rescue So Slow
Methane is colourless and has no smell, and it ignites when it mixes with air in the wrong proportion. Miners and rescuers manage it with a steady flow of fresh air, which is why ventilation is the first job after an explosion.
The ANM said crews were injecting air into the tunnel without interruption. Rescuers cannot safely push forward until the air is clear enough to breathe and the roof and walls are propped up, so progress is measured in short stretches.
A collapse adds a second hazard to the first. Each reinforced metre protects the rescue crew, but it also takes time that the trapped men may not have.
The ANM has not published a time estimate for reaching the two miners. Rescue crews in Colombia’s coal belt have responded to similar accidents before, and the agency keeps permanent rescue stations in the region for that reason.
What Is Not Known
Officials have not said whether the two trapped miners are alive, and they have not given the exact time of the blast or how far underground the men are. The cause is a working hypothesis, methane, and the official investigation has not reported.
We could not confirm a statement from the governor of Boyacá or from the national disaster-risk agency (UNGRD) in a primary source. The agency has not named the mine’s owner or the men, so we do not publish names.
What It Means for You
For most readers abroad this is a human story rather than a market one. The people affected are miners and their families in rural Chita, and the first test of the response is whether the two trapped men are reached.
Readers who follow Colombian energy or mining investments should watch for the ANM’s findings on ventilation and gas monitoring in small formalised mines. Our
Colombia news hub tracks the story as the rescue continues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did the Colombia coal mine explosion happen?
The blast struck a coal mine in the village of La Playa, in Chita, Boyacá. The ANM, Colombia’s mining regulator, said rescue teams were still working there on Saturday 14 November 2026.
How many miners died in the Chita explosion?
Two miners died and two more were trapped, according to the ANM. The agency confirmed two bodies had been recovered by Saturday.
What caused the explosion?
The ANM points to a presumed build-up of methane gas, which then caused a collapse. The investigation is open, so the cause is not final.
Who is leading the rescue?
The ANM’s mine-rescue teams are leading the work, including crews from Nobsa. They are ventilating the tunnel and reinforcing its supports so they can reach the trapped men.
Sources: Agencia Nacional de Minería (ANM), statements on the Chita emergency (14 November 2026); Gobernación de Boyacá (the regional government) and Alcaldía de Chita (the town hall), institutional channels (read 14 November 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. The Rio Times also runs Ask Rio Times, which answers from 100,000+ of our own articles, the daily Latin America Power Map, and prediction-market odds on elections and markets.. How we use AI · Report an error