48 Killed in Collapse of Illegal Gold Mine in Western Mali

At least 48 people died after an illegally operated gold mine collapsed in western Mali on Saturday, authorities and local sources told AFP.  

Mali, one of Africa’s leading gold producers, has seen frequent deadly landslides and accidents at mining sites. The country, among the world’s poorest, has struggled to regulate the unregulated extraction of the precious metal.  

“The toll as of 1800 today is 48 dead following the collapse,” a police source said. “Some of the victims fell into the water. Among them was a woman with her baby on her back.”  

A local official confirmed the incident, and the Kenieba gold miners’ association also reported 48 fatalities. The search for victims was ongoing, according to the head of an environmental organization.  

The accident occurred at an abandoned site previously operated by a Chinese company, sources revealed.  

This tragedy follows a landslide at a gold mine in southern Mali in January, which killed at least 10 people, mostly women, with many others still missing. Just over a year ago, a tunnel collapse at a gold mining site in the same region claimed more than 70 lives.

AFP/Channels 24