At least 48 people lost their lives on Saturday when an illegally operated gold mine collapsed in western Mali, according to authorities and local sources.
Mali, a leading gold producer in Africa, frequently experiences fatal accidents and landslides at mining sites. The country, among the world's poorest, has struggled to regulate its unlicensed gold mining operations.
“The death toll as of 6 p.m. today is 48,” a police source reported, adding that some victims fell into the water, including a woman carrying her baby.
A local official confirmed the collapse, and the Kenieba gold miners' association also reported 48 fatalities. Search efforts for more victims were ongoing, according to the head of an environmental group speaking to AFP.
The accident occurred at an abandoned site previously operated by a Chinese company, sources revealed.
In January, a landslide at a gold mine in southern Mali killed at least 10 people, mostly women, with several others reported missing. Just over a year earlier, a tunnel collapse in the same region as Saturday's incident claimed over 70 lives.
