Improper Extraction Kills 13 at Colombia Gold Mine, Injuring 7 in Nariño Landslide
Updated
Updated · DW (English) · Aug 20
Improper Extraction Kills 13 at Colombia Gold Mine, Injuring 7 in Nariño Landslide
3 articles · Updated · DW (English) · Aug 20
Summary
Rescuers in Policarpa ended operations around 2 a.m. Thursday after locating all missing workers from a Wednesday night landslide that killed 13 and injured seven at an illegal gold mine.
Authorities said improper ore extraction undermined the mine's base, causing a slope to collapse onto workers and ruling out an initial theory that an explosion triggered the disaster.
Firefighters, excavators and local residents joined the overnight search at the unregulated site in Nariño, a region where illegal mines often help finance criminal groups.
Mining accidents are frequent in Colombia's informal sector: 19 people were injured in a Marmato gold mine incident earlier this month, and nine coal miners died in a May explosion near Bogota.