In a heartbreaking incident near Kenieba in Mali's gold-rich Kayes region, over 40 people, mainly women, tragically died when an illegal gold mine collapsed. The victims were scavenging for gold scraps left by industrial miners when the ground gave way. This incident marks Mali's second tragic mining accident in just a few weeks; previously, a flooding incident claimed at least 10 lives in January. Confusion surrounds the exact death toll, with local police reporting 48 fatalities while union leaders estimate 43. Witnesses noted that some victims fell into the water during the collapse, including a woman carrying her baby.
Mali is among the world's top gold producers, but the country's mining activities remain largely unregulated, often leading to unsafe working conditions. The site of Saturday's disaster was reported to be an abandoned operation previously run by a Chinese firm, amid ongoing disputes over revenue-sharing among major mining companies. Mali recently detained the CEO of a Canadian company amid concerns over the gold revenues.
