Dozens of illegal miners killed in Mali

Dozens of people, most of which were female, have been killed after the collapse of an illegal gold mine in the west of Mali on February 15^th.

According to Africa News, officials said the victims of the accident climbed into an open-pit left by industrial miners, searching for leftover pieces of gold.

Rescue efforts continued late into the evening at Bilali Koto as emergency services and volunteers tried to free survivors.

Local authorities also said many people were injured in the incident and that the death toll may be likely to increase.

The incident reflects the dangers surrounding informal mining which has had an uptick during recent years. In January, at least 87 illegal miners were killed in South Africa after being trapped for weeks in an a disused mine.

This marks the second deadly mining accident in Mali over the last three weeks. In January several people, again mostly women, died in a landslide at an artisanal gold mine.

Women are more likely to become engaged in illegal mining due to lack of job prospects and having dependent children that need supporting.

Mali has long been one of the world’s biggest producers of gold, despite this much of their mining activity remains unregulated.

AfricaNews, Maghrebi, The Guardian