At least 48 people were killed and many others were injured in the collapse of an illegally operated gold mine in western Mali. According to local officials, fatal accidents regularly occur in Malian mines where gold prospectors search for the precious metal without authorization. The accident on Saturday occurred in an abandoned mine that was previously operated by a Chinese company.
This is the second mine accident in Mali this year. Last month, a landslide killed several miners, mostly women, in the Koulikoro region. Mali is one of Africa’s top gold producers.
