At least 48 people have been confirmed dead following the collapse of an illegally operated goldmine in western Mali, according to local authorities and sources. The tragedy occurred on Saturday at an abandoned mining site in the Kenieba region, formerly operated by a Chinese company.
Mali, one of Africa’s top gold producers, frequently witnesses deadly mining accidents due to the prevalence of unregulated and hazardous mining operations. The country remains one of the poorest in the world, and controlling illegal mining activities has been a significant challenge for local authorities.
A police source reported the death toll at 48 by 6:00 pm local time on Saturday, adding that some victims had fallen into water during the collapse. Among those confirmed dead was a woman carrying a baby on her back.
The Kenieba goldminers’ association also confirmed the death toll, and local officials reiterated that the search for victims was ongoing. Environmental organizations are closely monitoring the situation as authorities work to recover those trapped in the rubble.
This incident comes just over a month after another deadly landslide in southern Mali, which killed at least 10 people, most of them women. A year ago, a similar accident occurred in the same region, when a tunnel collapse at a goldmine resulted in the deaths of more than 70 people.
The collapse of the illegal goldmine in Kenieba is the latest in a series of mining-related tragedies that have exposed the dangers associated with unregulated gold extraction in Mali. While gold remains a vital economic resource for the country, the lack of proper oversight and regulation continues to lead to fatal incidents, sparking calls for increased efforts to manage the sector safely.
