Landslide at unlicensed Colombian gold mine kills 13
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At least 13 workers died and seven were injured after a landslide at an unlicensed open-air artisanal gold mine in the Nariño province of Colombia. Local officials stated that mining activities triggered the landslide, although witnesses reported hearing a sound resembling an explosion prior to the collapse. The incident involved approximately 50 workers, primarily from the Quillacinga indigenous group, including four members of the same family who were among the deceased. The event highlights the risks associated with the country's unlicensed mining sector, which sustains between 200,000 and 400,000 people relying on the trade for income.
Consequences
Local emergency operations were required to retrieve the bodies of the victims using heavy machinery. The reliance of indigenous families on unregulated mining for financial survival suggests a continued vulnerability to hazardous working conditions in the absence of official oversight.
Sources
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