Dozens including women killed in a collapse

More than 40 people, mostly women, were killed after an illegal gold mine had collapsed on Saturday in Mali.

The collapse took place near Kenyba, in the western, rich in Kayes’ golden region.

The victims climbed into outdoor areas, left by the industrial miners to look for pieces of gold when the land around them rushed, the leader of the Golden Miner Union told Reuters.

It’s on Mali Second Deadly Mining Catastrophe in three weeksAfter at least 10 people were killed when a mining tunnel flooded in late January.

Reports on the exact number of the incident on Saturday are controversial.

A local police source told AFP news agency that 48 people were killed in the collapse while the head of the Industrial Union told Reuters that there were 43 casualties.

“Some of the victims fell into the water. Among them was a woman with her baby on her back,” a local police source told AFP.

Mali is one of the largest gold producers in the world. Accidents are common in the country because much mining activity is unregulated, with miners using dangerous digging methods for gold.

Just over a year ago, At least 40 people were killed after a tunnel collapsed in the mine.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Ministry in the country confirmed to Reuters that the incident had happened between the cities of Kenyba and Dabia, but declined to give further details.

The Ministry’s teams are preparing a report of the scene, Reuters reports.

The collapse on Saturday happened at an abandoned site, which was previously run by a Chinese company, according to AFP.

Beijing has been heavily invested in the development of Mali Mining Industries, with the approval of its government.

Currently, Mali is dealing with a dispute about sharing revenue with one of the largest mining companies in the country, the Canadian company Barik.

Last month, Malian’s government seized $ 245 million gold bars (194 million British pounds) from Barik and issued an arrest warrant for its CEO Mark Bristow.

G -n Bristow said there was “no doubt” the conflict will be resolved in an interview with Bloomberg this week.