Over 70 individuals lost their lives in a tunnel collapse at a gold mining site in Mali last week, as confirmed by a local gold mining group leader and a regional official on Wednesday.
The incident occurred in the southwestern town of Kangaba, where more than 200 gold miners were working.
Mali’s Ministry of Mines acknowledged the tragic event in a statement, the precise figures were not disclosed. The government expressed its “deepest condolences to the grieving families and the Malian people.”
Mali, ranked among the world’s poorest nations, is one of Africa’s primary gold producers. The country’s gold mining sites often witness deadly landslides, highlighting the challenges authorities face in regulating artisanal mining practices.