An illegal mining site has caved in near Kenieba, Mali

At least 50 people lost their lives in the collapse of an illegally operated gold mine in western Mali on Saturday, a local official said, speaking to Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The disaster occurred near Kenieba, in the gold-rich Kayes region, an area known for both industrial and artisanal mining activities.

The victims had reportedly ventured into abandoned open-pit mining areas previously used by industrial operators, attempting to extract leftover gold, when the unstable ground suddenly gave way, Taoule Camara, secretary general of the National Union of Gold Counters and Refineries (UCROM), told Reuters.

He confirmed that the collapse occurred between the towns of Kenieba and Dabia but refrained from providing additional details. Ministry officials are currently assessing the scene and preparing a report, Reuters noted.

Conflicting reports on the number of casualties have emerged, with a local police official informing AFP that the death toll had reached 48 by Saturday evening, while an industry union leader told Reuters that 43 fatalities had been confirmed. Later, Xinhua cited a local official as saying that the tragedy claimed the lives of 49 women and one man.

According to the Chinese news agency, the collapse was caused by a Caterpillar machine falling onto an artisanal mine where a group of people were searching for gold. A police source, speaking to AFP, mentioned that some victims had fallen into water-filled pits, including a woman who had a baby strapped to her back. Rescue workers have since recovered the bodies, local sources confirmed to the BBC.

This incident follows a similar tragedy in January when a landslide at a gold mine in southern Mali claimed at least ten lives, with several individuals still missing.

Mali, one of the world's top gold producers, frequently experiences mining-related accidents due to widespread unregulated operations, where miners often resort to hazardous techniques in their search for gold.

According to AFP, the site where the accident occurred had previously been operated by a Chinese company before being abandoned.

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Mali's industrial gold output saw a sharp decline of 23% last year, dropping to 51 metric tons from 66.5 tons in 2023, according to the country's Ministry of Mines.

(RT.com)