At least 13 miners were killed and another seven were injured when a landslide slammed an unlicensed open‑air gold mine near Policarpa in southern Colombia. Witnesses heard an explosion a short time before the rock mass collapsed, trapping workers underground. Emergency crews and local residents used portable diggers to retrieve bodies and provide first aid. The accident – one of many in the region – underscores the hazardous conditions that prevail in informal mining sites where roughly three‑quarters of the 200 000 to 400 000 artisanal miners in Colombia work without official oversight. Among the victims were members of a single indigenous family and many belong to the Quillacinga community that has long depended on gold extraction for their livelihood.
Deadly Landslide Shuts Colombia Mine, 13 Workers Lose Their Lives
A landslide buried an unlicensed Colombian gold mine, killing 13 workers and injuring seven, highlighting dangers of informal mining operations.
Source: bbc.co.uk1 min read
