More than 70 people died in a gold mine collapse in Mali on Friday

A gold mine gallery collapse in western Mali killed 73 people last Friday, the manager of a local mining company and an elected representative of the municipality told AFP on Wednesday.

“It started with a noise. The earth started shaking. There we were more than 200 gold seekers. “The search is over, we have found 73 bodies,” Omar Sidibé, the man in charge of the Kangaba gold prospectors, told AFP. A councilor confirmed the remaining amount.

In a statement published on Tuesday, the mines ministry reported the deaths of several gold diggers, but did not give exact figures. The government “expressed its sad condolences to the bereaved families and the Malian people.” Similarly, the ministry “invited communities near mining sites and gold prospectors to scrupulously respect safety measures and to work only within the perimeter dedicated to gold extraction.”

Mali, one of the world’s poorest countries, is one of Africa’s leading gold producers. Their gold mines are often the scene of fatal collapses, highlighting a dangerous activity that is often carried out in a home-grown manner and is inadequately regulated by the authorities.

With production of 72.2 tonnes in 2022 (six of which are the result of artisanal extraction), gold contributed 25% to the national budget. Furthermore, it represents 75% of export earnings and 10% of GDP, as indicated by former Mines Minister Lamine Seydou Traoré in March 2023.