Afət Ziyadqızı
A major landslide and collapse occurred at an illegal gold mine between El Chambero and Bellavista in the Nariño administrative region of southwestern Colombia.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that rescuers recovered the bodies of 14 people, while seven injured people have begun receiving treatment at medical facilities.
Nariño Governor Luis Alfonso Escobar told local media that the government would provide the necessary support to the families of those killed in the disaster:
“Our main priority now is to protect people’s lives, stand by the affected families and respond swiftly to this serious emergency,” L.A. Escobar said.
The National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) said local residents and search-and-rescue teams used heavy machinery, including excavators, to remove the bodies and injured people from beneath the debris. Search-and-rescue operations are continuing around the clock amid concerns that miners may still be trapped under the soil. Authorities fear the death toll could rise.
The area where the collapse occurred is known as a zone of clashes between armed criminal groups vying for proceeds from drug trafficking and uncontrolled mining.
According to security sources, illegal gold mining and drug smuggling are among the main sources of funding for left-wing radical groups and organized criminal organizations operating in the region.
In August this year, 13 people died in a similar accident at an illegal mine elsewhere in Colombia’s Nariño region.
