14 killed, 7 injured as Colombia mine collapses in Narino department

​​​​​​​By Maryam Ashalem de Andres

ISTANBUL (AA) – Fourteen people were killed and seven injured in the collapse of an artisanal gold mine in southwestern Colombia, the Narino departmental government said Tuesday.

“There are entire families who have lost their lives in this tragic incident, which fills us with deep sorrow,” said Gov. Luis Alfonso Escobar Jaramillo, expressing solidarity with the families of victims and the municipality.

The collapse occurred Monday in the Chambero sector of rural Santa Barbara de Iscuande, in the Narino department.

Search and rescue operations have ended, and authorities are focusing on supporting affected families, according to the governor’s office.

The death toll was confirmed in a report by the Administrative Directorate for Disaster Risk Management, cited by the departmental government.

The accident has renewed concerns about the dangers of informal mining in the region. Two mine collapses in Narino in less than three months have killed 27 people, according to the governor’s office.

The previous incident occurred Aug. 19 in Policarpa, a municipality in Narino department in southwestern Colombia, where 13 people were killed. The latest collapse brings the death toll from the two accidents to 27, with seven injured in the latest incident.

Following the collapse, Escobar urged the national government to review conditions in artisanal and small-scale mining, where communities often work without adequate safety guarantees.

He urged the National Mining Agency and the Ministry of Mines and Energy to review pending applications to formalize mining operations in affected areas.

“We call on the national government, the National Mining Agency and the Ministry of Mines and Energy to review all pending formalization applications in these areas,” said Escobar.

The departmental government said formalizing mining operations was essential to improving working conditions, reducing risks and protecting communities that depend on the sector for their livelihoods.

Authorities said efforts now focus on supporting families affected by the collapse and addressing the risks facing mining communities.

Mariam Ashalem De Andres