BOGOTA, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Nine miners were killed and six others injured and rescued after an explosion caused by a gas buildup at a coal mine in Colombia's central Cundinamarca department, the country's mining agency said Monday.

The blast occurred at the La Ciscuda mine in Sutatausa, Cundinamarca. All 15 workers inside at the time were affected; six survivors were rescued and taken to a hospital for treatment, according to the National Mining Agency.

The agency said an inspection on April 9 had identified safety risks at the site, including gas buildup and inadequate sealing of abandoned tunnels, and issued recommendations to improve ventilation and dust control.

Units of the Colombian Red Cross are also at the scene, providing psychosocial support to victims' families and others, Governor Jorge Emilio Rey said on X, expressing condolences and solidarity with those affected by the mining disaster. ■