BOGOTA, August 1 (Xinhua) -- At least eight Colombian workers died and two were injured on Friday after an explosion inside a coal mine in the center of Colombia, Colombian Institute of Geology and Mining (Ingeominas) said.

    Ingeominas representative Carlos Bustamante said that the mine was working illegally and without maintenance to prevent accidents like the one that occurred on Friday's morning, caused by the accumulation of gases.

    "Its (the mine) cancellation was confirmed on 2005. There were control visits but unfortunately the illegal miners do not follow the rules. Ingeominas have a saving place in the nearby municipality of Ubate (center) and when were told we arrived here immediately," Bustamante said.

    Firemen from the department of Boyaca, the Civil Defense and representatives of Ingeominas attended the rescue works inside the mine, to the moment they were able to rescue two people alive.

    "The injured people is in general conditions fine. They are on radiology studies but they only have intoxication symptoms. They are awake, without a visual injure," the medical report of El Salvador Hospital in the locality of Ubate said.

    The accident occurred in the mine El Fique, in the lane of Pelas in the municipality of Cucunuba, isolated from inhabited rural and urban regions.

    The emergency network reported that inside the mine could be even 25 people that usually go to work daily, however to the moment there were not more reports than the one from Ingeominas.