At least 13 workers were killed and seven injured in a landslide at an unlicensed mine in southern Colombia, local officials say. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing BBC News.
The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon at an open-air artisanal gold mine near Policarpa in southern Nariño province. Witnesses described hearing an explosion moments before workers below were trapped.
Emergency workers and locals retrieved the bodies with the help of diggers. Four of the 13 dead were members of the same indigenous family.
Residents said some 50 people, mostly from the Quillacinga indigenous group, regularly worked in the mine.
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 precious metals and stones.
Deadly accidents are not uncommon in Colombia, especially at unlicensed mines where locals dig without official oversight.