An incident that occurred in western Mali on Saturday claimed the lives of 43 people when an artisanal gold mine collapsed, the majority of victims were women. According to Taoule Camara, secretary-general of the National Union of Gold Counters and Refineries (UCROM), the incident took place near the town of Kenieba in Mali’s gold-rich Kayes region.
The victims, primarily women, had descended into open-pit areas left by industrial miners to search for scraps of gold when the earth gave way beneath them. “The women were looking for gold remnants when the ground collapsed around them,” Camara told Reuters.
A spokesperson from Mali’s mines ministry confirmed the accident occurred between the towns of Kenieba and Dabia but declined to provide further details, as ministry teams on-site had not yet shared their official report.
Artisanal mining, a prevalent activity across much of West Africa, has become increasingly lucrative due to the rising demand and prices for metals. However, the unregulated nature of such mining practices often leads to dangerous accidents. In late January, 13 artisanal miners, including women and three children, died in southwest Mali when a tunnel they were digging for gold flooded.
The collapse on Saturday highlights the ongoing dangers faced by artisanal miners in the region, as the industry remains largely unregulated, despite its growing economic significance.
(With Reuters Inputs)