A mining accident in Mali’s western Kayes region has killed over 40 people, mostly women, after an open-pit area collapsed. The victims were seeking scraps of gold left by industrial miners when the earth gave way.
The collapse occurred near Kéniéba and is Mali’s second deadly mining accident in three weeks. Reports on the number of fatalities are conflicting, with local police saying 48 people died and a union leader claiming there were 43 victims.
Mali is one of the world’s largest gold producers, but accidents are common due to unregulated mining activity and unsafe methods. Just over a year ago, at least 40 people were killed in a tunnel collapse at a mine.
The accident occurred at an abandoned site operated by a Chinese company. Beijing has invested heavily in developing Mali’s mining industries with the government’s approval. The country is also engaged in a dispute over revenue sharing with Canadian firm Barrick, which had previously been involved in the incident.
The government seized $245m worth of gold bars from Barrick last month and issued an arrest warrant for its CEO, Mark Bristow. However, Mr Bristow believes the conflict will be resolved.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c87d9z4g5ywo