At least six miners died and 12 to 15 are missing after an open pit gold mine collapsed in Nariño province, Colombia. Authorities report the site was an informal mine in a remote area.
At least six miners were killed Monday when an open pit gold mine collapsed in a remote corner of Colombia’s Nariño province, authorities said. The incident occurred in the municipality of Santa Barbara de Iscuande.
Jorge Tovar Castillo, a disaster response official in Nariño, stated that an additional 12 to 15 miners have been reported as missing following the accident. He noted that municipal authorities were handling the response to the accident but added that communication had been difficult.
Santa Barbara de Iscuande is surrounded by dense rainforest and can only be reached by boat or small aircraft. Tovar Castillo said, "We are waiting for their next report," and added, "We are waiting to see if they require additional support."
In a message on X, Nariño’s governor, Luis Alfonso Escobar, said the gold mine that collapsed was an "informal" mine. He wrote, "At this moment our priority is to save lives, accompany families and guarantee an opportune response to this painful tragedy."
Hundreds of small mines in Colombia operate without government permits and some are controlled by rebel groups.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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