At least five killed in explosion at Spanish mine

At least five people have died in an explosion at a mine in northern Spain, officials say.

The blast happened at the Cerredo mine in Degaña, Asturias, some 450km (278 miles) north-west of Madrid around 09:30 (07:30 GMT) on Monday.

Emergency services said they had been called about a "problem with a machine" at the mine. Ambulances, fire and rescue services were sent.

At least four other people were injured. Two more were initially reported missing but were accounted for by early afternoon, officials said.

The five victims were all residents of Spain's north-western province of León and aged between 32 and 54, the Spanish government's delegation in Asturias said.

The injured were taken to local hospitals for treatment.

The mining rescue brigade also deployed its canine unit.

Local media, citing an Asturian spokesperson, reported that workers had been at the mine under a permit to extract minerals to produce graphite.

According to ABC España, the site had been a major mine before its closure in 2018, and had since been intermittently used by private companies to extract the mineral anthracite.

It is not yet known how many people were at the mine at the time of the explosion.

President of Asturias Adrián Barbón ordered two days of mourning in the region.

The region's civil protection plan, designed to control emergencies, was activated at its lowest level. This indicates a localised situation that may be controlled by available resources.

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez sent his condolences to the families of the victims.

"I wish a speedy recovery to those injured," he wrote on X.