BAMAKO, Mali (AP) 鈥� An official in Mali says more than 70 people are dead after an unregulated gold mine collapsed late last week, and a search continues amid fears the toll could rise.
Karim Berth茅, a senior official at the government's National Geology and Mining Directorate, confirmed the details to The Associated Press on Wednesday and called it an accident.
It was not immediately clear what caused the collapse that occurred on Friday and was reported on Tuesday in a Ministry of Mines statement that estimated 鈥渟everal鈥� miners dead. The collapse occurred in Kangaba district in the southwestern Koulikoro region.
Such accidents are common in Mali, Africa鈥檚 third-largest gold producer. Artisanal miners 鈥� small-scale, informal ones 鈥� are often accused of ignoring safety measures, especially in remote areas.
鈥淭he state must bring order to this artisanal mining sector to avoid these kinds of accidents in the future,鈥� Berth茅 said.
The Ministry of Mines statement 鈥渄eeply regretted鈥� the collapse and urged miners as well as communities living near mining sites to 鈥渃omply with safety requirements."
In recent years, there have been concerns that profits from unregulated mining in northern Mali active in that part of the country.
The region of this latest collapse, however, is far to the south of that and closer to the capital, Bamako.
鈥淕old is by far Mali鈥檚 most important export, comprising more than 80% of total exports in 2021,鈥� according to the International Trade Administration with the U.S. Department of Commerce. It says more than two million people, or over 10% of Mali's population, depend on the mining sector for income.
The Ministry of Mines has estimated that the country has 800 tons in gold deposits.
Baba Ahmed, The Associated Press
