At Least 14 Miners Killed in Gold Mine Collapse in Colombia

At least 14 people have been killed and seven others injured after an informal gold mine collapsed in southwestern Colombia. Local authorities said 12 to 15 miners remained missing following the incident. The accident occurred on Monday (October 19) in the remote area of Chambero, in the municipality of Santa Barbara de Iscuande, Nariño Department. Local authorities said the rescue and search operation had been completed.

Nariño Governor Luis Alfonso Escobar confirmed the incident. In a post on social media platform X, he described the mine as “informal”. He said the immediate priorities were to save lives, support the affected families and provide assistance quickly.

Jorge Tovar Castillo, an official responsible for disaster response in Nariño, said reports indicated that 12 to 15 workers were still missing after the collapse. Municipal authorities were leading the rescue and emergency response efforts. However, communication difficulties in the remote area made the operation challenging.

Santa Barbara de Iscuande is surrounded by dense rainforest and has limited road access. People must rely on boats or small aircraft to reach the area, making it difficult for rescue workers to reach the site and deliver essential assistance.

Informal and unregulated mining is common in rural areas of Colombia. Such mines often lack adequate safety measures and infrastructure, leading to frequent fatal accidents. In August, a similar mining accident in the municipality of Policarpa, also in Nariño Department, killed 13 people.

Sources: Al Jazeera and Reuters