Gold mine collapses in Mali, at least 48 people killed

At least 48 people, mostly women, were killed in a collapse at an illegal gold mine in western Mali on February 15. The tragedy occurred in the village of Bilalkoto in the Dabia commune, Kenieba district, Kayes region.

An excavator is believed to have overturned at an artisanal mine where a group of women were searching for gold, a local official said.

The official confirmed that 48 women died at the scene, while about 10 seriously injured people were rushed to the nearest hospital.

The death toll is expected to rise further and the search for possible survivors continues.

Similar tragedies at gold mining sites occur frequently in Mali in particular and West Africa in general.

At least 10 gold miners, mostly women, were also killed in a collapse at another gold mine in the south of the country in late January.

Mali is one of Africa's top gold producers. Artisanal mines are flourishing in the impoverished country, attracting thousands of miners from all over the world in search of riches, where they work in precarious conditions.