Deadly accident in Mali’s gold mining sector
At least 48 people were killed on Saturday when an illegally operated gold mine collapsed in western Mali, authorities and local sources told AFP.
Mali is one of Africa’s leading gold producers, but its mining sites are often the scene of deadly landslides and accidents. Authorities have struggled to regulate unlicensed mining operations in the country, which remains among the world’s poorest nations.
Ongoing rescue efforts
“The toll at 18:00 today is 48 dead following the collapse,” a police source reported. “Some of the victims fell ito the water. Among them was a woman with her baby on her back.”
A local official confirmed the incident, while the Kenieba Gold Miners’ Association also estimated the death toll at 48. Rescue efforts were still underway, according to the head of an environmental organization.
Previous incidents in Mali’s mining industry
Saturday’s accident occurred at an abandoned site that was previously operated by a Chinese company, sources told AFP.
In January, another landslide at a gold mine in southern Mali claimed the lives of at least 10 people, leaving many others missing—most of them women.
Just over a year ago, a tunnel collapse at a gold mining site in the same region killed more than 70 people, highlighting the ongoing dangers of unregulated mining in the country.
