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According to Reuters, rescuers working to recover bodies at the La Preciosa underground pit mine in the Norte de Santander province have located 17 of an estimated 21 and are continuing to use oxygen masks and ventilation machines in their recovery efforts.
The mine suffered a blast Wednesday which is being linked to methane.
On Thursday, Reuters quoted Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos as saying that he was now calling for a mine safety review.
"We're going to review every way mines are controlled and how the regulations are used to avoid these accidents,” he said.
“That's where there's a need for much more effectiveness, I believe. If there are effective and rigorous controls, these tragedies would not happen."
A 2007 explosion at the La Preciosa operation killed 32 workers and a blast at another Colombian mine last June left 70 dead.
Colombia is the world’s fifth-largest coal exporter.
