Thirteen dead in landslide at illegal Colombia mine
BOGOTA, Colombia (AFP) — A landslide at an illegal gold mine in southwestern Colombia has killed 13 people and injured seven, a government official said Thursday.
“Due to the activity taking place in the mine, a slope collapsed onto the people,” Narino department government secretary Fredy Gamez told Caracol Radio about the incident, which took place Wednesday night.
Accidents at mines in Colombia, particularly in unregulated work sites like the one in Narino, are frequent. Explosions caused by built-up gases are common.
Images of the Narino mine posted on social media showed heavy equipment working on steep terrain.
A government source told AFP that Wednesday’s landslide was triggered by an explosion inside the mine.
Rescue efforts were being hampered by the dangerous instability of the earth at the site.
