At least 73 miners are confirmed to have died in the collapse of an illegal gold mine that occurred in the Kangaba area in southwestern Mali.
ABCNews today (January 25) quoted the representative of Mali’s national mining agency, Mr. Karim Berthe, confirming that at least 73 miners were killed in a gold mining accident that occurred in the Kangaba area. in southwestern Mali a few days ago.
“The incident started with a loud noise. The ground then began to shake,” local official Oumar Sidibe told media. “There are more than 200 gold miners working at the mine.”
In a statement published on January 23, the Mali Government mentioned the deaths of many gold miners but did not give an exact number. Mali authorities sent condolences to the victim’s family and called on gold miners to respect safety requirements.
According to AlJazeera, the mining sector in Mali is dominated by Western corporations. However, many illegal, small-scale gold mines are still operating and attracting thousands of miners.
The US international trade administration assesses gold as Mali’s most important export, accounting for more than 80% of total exports in 2021. More than 2 million people, equivalent to 10% of Mali’s population, depends on the mining sector for a living.
