48 Killed in Mali Illegal Gold Mine Collapse

A minimum of 48 people lost their lives when an illegal gold mine collapsed in western Mali on Saturday. The accident happened at a previous mining area that had been run by a Chinese company. The victims, including a woman with a baby tied around her back, fell into the water when the mine caved in. Additional victims are yet to be found by authorities.

Mali is also one of Africa’s leading producers of gold, but unregulated and illegal gold mining typically leads to deadly crashes. In January, a landslide happened at another gold mine which claimed the lives of at least 10 people, mostly women. A year ago, yet another mine tunnel collapse in the same region took more than 70 lives.