At least 13 people lost their lives and seven more were injured after a collapse in a gold mine on Wednesday in a rural area of the municipality of Policarpa, belonging to the department of Nariño, in the southwest region of Colombia, the local Secretary of Government, Fredy Gámez, confirmed to local radio on Thursday.
"In an open-pit mine, due to the movements being made, a slope collapsed on the people and the area where the excavation was taking place," the official explained to Caracol Radio. Gámez indicated that the recovery of the bodies of those who worked illegally in the mine concluded around 02:00 a.m. local time (07:00 GMT) on Thursday, while those injured were treated at local health centers. He added that "solidarity" is always with the communities in "the protection of life," according to a Xinhua report.
The Secretary of Government of Nariño warned that illegal gold mining is currently spreading across several municipalities in the department's Andean mountain range. "There are several mines operating this way, using the same backhoes," Gámez stated, adding that the governor's office is seeking to coordinate with the authorities of each municipality to strengthen control over illegal mining activities.
