14 Dead as Illegal Gold Mine Collapses in Colombia, Rescue Work Ends in Narino

Rescue workers clear debris after the illegal gold mine collapse in Narino, Colombia

A deadly collapse at an illegal gold mine in southwestern Colombia has killed at least 14 people and injured seven others, local authorities said on Monday. Search and rescue teams have finished their work at the site, and the focus has now shifted to identifying the victims.

The accident happened in the rural Chambero sector of Santa Bárbara de Iscuandé, a municipality in the province of Nariño. Nariño Governor Luis Alfonso Escobar confirmed that rescue operations had concluded and urged the national government to move faster on formalizing small-scale mining so that working conditions and safety standards can improve.

This is the second fatal mining accident in Nariño in just two months. In August, 13 people died in a similar collapse in the town of Policarpa. Colombia's Ombudsman's Office also raised concern that illegal armed groups active in the area could complicate emergency and humanitarian work. Informal and unregulated mining is common in rural Colombia, where many small mines operate without proper safety equipment or oversight.

Source: Reuters

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