At least 43 people, mostly women, were killed after an informal gold mine on Saturday in West Mali, the union head of the industry said.
The accident happened near the town of Kéniéb in Mali’s golden -rich Kayes region, Taoulle Camara, Secretary General of the National Union for the counter and gold refinery, Reuters told Reuters. The women climbed into the areas of open Pitt left by industrial miners to look for the remains of gold when the earth collapsed around them, he said.
The Ministry of Mina’s representative confirmed that the accident occurred between the cities of Kenieb and Dabia, but refused to give further details, because the ministry teams did not share their report at the scene.
The informal mining, also known as craft minerality, is a common activity in most of Western Africa and has become more lucrative in recent years due to increasing demand for metals and growing prices. Deadly accidents are common, as such miners often use unregulated methods and work in uncertain conditions.
Thirteen artisan miners, including women and three children, died in the southwestern small at the end of January, after a tunnel in which they dug for gold flooded.
