The number of deaths in a dramatic accident in a gold mine in Mali has reached 73. “It all started with a noise, then the ground started shaking. There were more than 200 gold miners on the site. The search was over, we found 73 bodies,” says Oumar Sidibé, an official of the gold miners. In Kangaba city.
This statement, confirmed by the surviving miners, followed the Ministry of Mines’ statement on Tuesday, January 23, which reported the accident but did not mention the exact number of victims.
In the ministerial note, the government offered its “deepest condolences to the bereaved families and the people of Mali” and called on “communities living near mining sites and artisanal miners to strictly comply with safety requirements and work only in private areas in search of gold.”
According to the World Gold Council, Mali ranked 11th in the world gold producers in 2022, becoming the second African country after Ghana with a total gold production of over 100 tons. In Mali, one of the world’s poorest countries, mining is one of the few thriving industries and accounts for around 10% of GDP. Although gold mining attracts thousands of miners from across the sub-region, catastrophic incidents are not uncommon.
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
