More than 70 dead in artisanal mine collapse in Mali
Al Jazeera
Despite the dangers, small-scale unregulated mines continue to flourish and attract thousands of gold miners.
More than 70 people have died in southwest Mali after an artisanal gold mine collapsed last week, officials have said, the latest disaster in a region prone to mining accidents.
Karim Bethe, a senior National Geology and Mining Directorate official, shared the details with The Associated Press on Wednesday, calling it an accident.
Oumar Sidibe, an official for gold miners in the southwestern town of Kangaba, as well as a local councillor, confirmed the death toll to the AFP news agency.
“It started with a noise. The earth started to shake,” Sidibe said. “There were over 200 gold miners in the field.”
While it was not clear what caused the mine collapse that occurred on Friday, the Ministry of Mines said in a statement on Tuesday that it estimated “several” miners had been killed in the Kangaba district in southwestern Koulikoro region.
