DistantNews
Support us
Colombia: 13 dead from landslide at illegal mine
🇬🇷 Greece /Disasters & Emergencies

Colombia: 13 dead from landslide at illegal mine

From Ta Nea · () Greek

Translated from Greek, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Thirteen people died and seven were injured in a landslide at an illegal gold mine in southwestern Colombia.
  • The landslide occurred in Policarpa, Nariño department, when a slope collapsed onto workers inside the open-pit mine.
  • Authorities cited "improper mining" for undermining the mine's foundations and causing the collapse, highlighting the dangers of unregulated mining operations.

A landslide at an illegal gold mine in southwestern Colombia has resulted in the deaths of thirteen people and injured seven others, local government officials announced. The incident occurred Wednesday evening in Policarpa, located in the Nariño department, when a slope in an open-pit mine collapsed, burying workers.

Fredy Games, an official from the Nariño department, told local media outlet Radio Caracol that the collapse happened due to movements within the mine. Initial theories of an explosion were dismissed by local authorities. A source from the regional government stated that "improper mining" practices undermined the mine's foundations, leading to the catastrophic landslide.

Due to the movements inside the mine, a bank collapsed on the workers who were there.

— Fredy GamesAn official from the Nariño department, explaining the cause of the landslide to Radio Caracol.

Rescue operations were complicated by the unstable terrain. Firefighters and residents participated in the search, which concluded after all missing individuals were located. Illegal mining, often funded by criminal groups involved in drug trafficking and extortion, is a significant issue in the Nariño region bordering Ecuador. This type of unregulated extraction also contributes to deforestation and mercury pollution in Colombia's waterways.

Improper mining undermined the foundations of the mine and caused the landslide.

— Regional government sourceSpeaking to AFP about the cause of the incident.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Ta Nea in Greek. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog