More than 40 people, mostly women were killed following the collapse of an illegal gold mine near Kéniéba, in Mali’s gold-rich Kayes region on Saturday.
The victims were reportedly searching for gold scraps in open-pit areas left behind by industrial miners when the ground caved in, according to a local gold miners’ union leader.
There are conflicting reports on the exact number of casualties. A local police source told reporters that 48 people had died, while a union representative stated that the death toll stood at 43.
“Some of the victims fell into the water. Among them was a woman with her baby on her back,” a police official stated.
Rescue workers have since recovered the bodies, sources confirmed.
This marks Mali’s second deadly mining accident in three weeks, after at least 10 miners were killed in a tunnel collapse in late January.
Mali is one of the world’s largest gold producers, but much of its mining activity is unregulated. Many miners use unsafe methods to extract gold, leading to frequent accidents and fatalities.
Illegal miners, many of them women, often risk their lives at abandoned sites due to economic hardship.
According to reports, Saturday’s collapse occurred at a former mining site previously operated by a Chinese company.
China has invested heavily in Mali’s mining sector, but its involvement has sparked environmental and financial concerns.
The Malian government is currently locked in a dispute with Canadian mining giant Barrick over revenue-sharing.
Last month, Malian authorities seized $245 million (£194m) worth of gold bars from the company and issued an arrest warrant for its CEO, Mark Bristow.
Despite the tensions, Bristow said he was confident the issue would be resolved, telling Bloomberg: “I have no doubt we will reach a solution.”
Meanwhile, Mali’s mines ministry has confirmed Saturday’s accident and is conducting an investigation at the site.
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