Colombia coal mine blast kills 20, regulator says

BOGOTA,  (Reuters) – An explosion at a small  underground coal mine in northeast Colombia killed 20 workers  yesterday, officials said, in the latest accident to hit  Latin America’s mining industry.

Colombia is the world’s No. 5 coal exporter, with an  industry dominated by major players with open-pit mines. But  some smaller mines in the Andean nation are dug underground  where methane gas buildups can cause accidents.

The mining regulator Ingeominas said the latest blast, in  Norte de Santander province, was probably caused by