At least 11 people have been killed in a coal mine explosion in central Colombia, the governor of the country’s Cundinamarca department has said, as rescue workers raced to save 10 other miners who were trapped underground, writes Al Jazeera.

The incident in the municipality of Sutatausa, 74km north of Bogota, occurred due to an accumulation of gases that exploded after a worker’s tool caused a spark, Governor Nicolas Garcia told Blu Radio.

“People are trapped between 700 and 900 metres [2,300 and 3,000 feet]” underground, Garcia told reporters. Two people have already been rescued and seven escaped unaided.

Firefighters and other rescue workers could be seen at the entrances to the mines in images from local media, with a handful of relatives awaiting information about their loved ones.

The governor said more than 100 rescue workers were working to free the trapped miners.