At least 13 workers have been killed and another seven injured in a landslide at an unlicensed mine in southern Colombia, local officials say. Witnesses described hearing an explosion at the open‑air artisanal gold mine on Wednesday afternoon, moments before the workers below were trapped. Emergency workers and locals were able to retrieve the bodies with the help of diggers. Deadly accidents are not uncommon in Colombia, especially at unlicensed mines where locals dig for precious metals without any official oversight. Witnesses said that four of the 13 dead were members of the same indigenous family. Residents of the area said some 50 people, most of them members of the Quillacinga indigenous group, regularly worked in the mine near Policarpa, in southern Nariño province. Between 200,000 and 400,000 people are estimated to engage in artisanal mining in Colombia, with many families relying on the income from selling the precious metals and stones they find to make ends meet.
Colombia Mine Landslide Claims 13 Lives
Colombia Mine Landslide Claims 13 Lives
A landslide at a South Colombian artisanal mine killed 13 workers and injured 7, highlighting dangers of unlicensed mining operations.
A sudden landslide at an unlicensed gold mine in Policarpa, southern Nariño, resulted in at least 13 fatalities and seven injuries, according to local officials. The disaster followed an explosion that trapped workers underground, with rescue teams using diggers to retrieve bodies. Such accidents are common in Colombia where unlicensed excavations drive local economies but pose serious safety risks. The victims included members of the Quillacinga indigenous group, underscoring the human cost of informal mining.
