Fourteen people have been killed and seven injured in the collapse of an illegal gold mine in south-western Colombia, Al Jazeera reports, citing local authorities.
The accident happened in the rural Chambero area of Santa Bárbara de Iscuandé, in Nariño department. Governor Luis Alfonso Escobar said search and rescue work had ended and described the site as an informal mine. A local disaster official said 12 to 15 more miners had been reported missing, and that communication with the area was difficult.
The municipality is surrounded by thick rainforest and can be reached only by boat or light aircraft. Unregulated mining is widespread in rural Colombia and often lacks basic safety measures. In August, 13 people died in a similar accident in Policarpa, also in Nariño.
Source: Al Jazeera
