Over 70 Killed in Mali Artisanal Mine Collapse, Several Missing; Death Toll Likely to Rise

Bamako: More than 70 people were killed after an unregulated gold mine in Mali collapsed last week, a senior official confirmed on Wednesday.

However, the search for others is underway as Abdoulaye Pona, president of the Mali Chamber of Mines, said that there were about 100 people in the mine.

The details were confirmed to the news agency AP by Karim Berthé, a senior official at the government's National Geology and Mining Directorate. The officials said, "The state must bring order to this artisanal mining sector to avoid these kinds of accidents in the future."

The collapse happened on Friday last week in Kangaba district in the southwestern Koulikoro region and was first reported on Tuesday in a Ministry of Mines statement that stated that "several" miners died.

The ministry further conveyed its "deep regret" for the collapse and urged the miners and people living near the mining sites to comply with all safety requirements.

The cause of the collapse has yet to be identified and a probe is underway.

Such mine tragedies are common in Mali, Africa's third-largest gold producer.

(With AP inputs)