BAMAKO: Forty-three people, mostly women, were killed after an artisanal gold mine collapsed in western Mali on Saturday, the head of an industry union said.
The accident took place near the town of Kenieba in Mali’s gold-rich Kayes region, Taoule Camara, secretary general of the national union of gold counters and refineries (UCROM), told Reuters.
The women had climbed down into open-pit areas left by industrial miners to look for scraps of gold when the earth collapsed around them, he said.
A mines ministry spokesperson confirmed the accident had taken place between the towns of Kenieba and Dabia, but declined to give further details as ministry teams at the scene had not yet shared their report.
Artisanal mining is a common activity across much of West Africa and has become more lucrative in recent years due to growing demand for metals and rising prices.
Deadly accidents are frequent as the artisanal miners often use unregulated methods.
Thirteen artisanal miners, including women and three children, were killed in southwest Mali in late January, after a tunnel in which they were digging for gold flooded.
Over 40 people killed in Mali gold mine collapse
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Over 40 people killed in Mali gold mine collapse
- The deceased, mostly women, had climbed down into open-pit areas left by industrial miners to look for scraps of gold when the earth collapsed
- Artisanal mining is a common activity across much of West Africa and has become more lucrative in recent years due to rising prices of metals
Trump threatens military operation against Colombia, after Venezuela raid
- Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, in an apparent reference to Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE: US President Donald Trump on Sunday threatened military action against Colombia’s government, telling reporters that such an operation “sounds good to me.”
“Colombia is very sick, too, run by a sick man, who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States, and he’s not going to be doing it very long,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, in an apparent reference to Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro.
Asked directly whether the US would pursue a military operation against the country, Trump answered, “It sounds good to me.”
The comments came after the United States captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in an audacious raid and whisked him to New York to face drug-trafficking charges.
