Eighteen workers who were trapped for about 18 hours in a gold mine in north-western Colombia have been rescued by emergency crews.
The miners got trapped on Thursday in the El Minón mine located in the Antioquia region of Colombia due to equipment failure.
As per the reports, after a rescue operation that lasted 12 hours, all the workers were safely rescued and are reported to be healthy.
The local mayor of Remedios told the government in a letter that the mine where the workers were trapped does not seem to have an official license to operate.
Reports further revealed that the mine's main exit got blocked because a machine broke down and caused a protective structure to collapse, which was meant to stop landslides.
While the miners were trapped, they were given oxygen through hoses to help them breath until rescuers could reach them.
Colombia's National Mining Agency (ANM) said in a statement that the mining community should "refrain from illegal mining activities, which endanger the lives and safety of those involved and also impact the country's resources and the environment."
After the rescue, videos appeared showing the miners' co-workers clapping and cheering happily as the trapped miners came out of the mine.
