A total of 14 people were killed when an illegal gold mine collapsed in south-western Colombia. Seven more were injured, and between 12 and 15 miners are missing, local authorities said on Monday.
The accident happened in the rural Chambero area of the municipality of Santa Barbara de Iscuande in the department of Narino. The mine was being run informally, said Narino governor Luis Alfonso Escobar.
Governor Escobar said the rescue operation at the mine had ended. However, a further 12 to 15 workers are reported missing after the accident, according to Jorge Tovar Castillo, an official of Narino’s disaster response department.
Castillo said the municipal authorities were working on the response but communication was proving difficult. Santa Barbara de Iscuande is surrounded by dense rainforest and can be reached only by boat or small plane. Its remoteness has made communication a major challenge for rescue and emergency work.
In a post on the social media platform X, Governor Escobar described the mine as “informal”. “Our priority at this moment is to save lives, stand by the families and ensure a rapid response to this tragic event,” he wrote.
Informal and unregulated mining is common in rural Colombia. Such mines often lack adequate safety measures, leading to deadly accidents. Last August, 13 people were killed in a similar mine accident in the municipality of Policarpa, also in Narino.
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