At least five people have been killed and two have disappeared after the explosion in a mine in northern Spain, officials say.
The explosion occurred around 09:30 (07:30 GMT) at the Ceredo mine in Degaña, Asturias, about 450 km (278 miles) northwest of Madrid.
Local emergency services said they were called for a “machine problem” in the mine.
At least four other people have been injured and a search is underway for the missing worker. Ambulances, fire and rescue services were sent to the scene.
The Mining Rescue Brigade also deployed dog units.
The injured were taken to a local hospital for treatment.
Citing an Asturian spokesman, local media reported that workers were in the mines under permission to extract minerals to produce graphite.
According to ABCEspaña, the site was a major mine before its closure in 2018, and was subsequently used intermittently by private companies to extract innocence from the minerals.
It is not yet known how many people were in the mine at the time of the explosion.
The president of Asturias Adrián Barbón ordered two days of mourning in the area.
Local civil protection plans designed to control emergencies have been revitalized at the lowest level. This indicates a localized situation that may be controlled by available resources.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez expressed his sadness to the victims’ families.
“I hope that the injured will recover quickly,” he wrote to X.
