Powerful explosion reported at gold mine in Colombia's Marmato municipality

A strong explosion was reported Thursday at a gold mine in the municipality of Marmato in Colombia's Caldas department, prompting a rescue operation, according to local broadcaster Noticias Caracol.

Emergency crews, including personnel from Colombia's National Mining Agency, were deployed to the site as authorities worked to determine the number of people affected and the cause of the blast, local media reported.

Officials had not released an official casualty toll at the time of writing, while rescue efforts remained underway.