Dozens killed in latest mine accident at illegal mine in Mali

Dozens of people, most of them women, have died after an illegal gold mine collapsed in the west of the Mali on Saturday.

Officials said the victims had climbed into the open-pit left by industrial miners in the hope of finding small pieces of gold.

Rescue operations continued well into the evening at Bilali Koto as emergency services and volunteers worked to extract survivors.

Local authorities said many people have been injured and that the death toll is likely to rise.

The disaster has highlighted the dangers associated with informal mining which has surged in recent years.

It’s the country’s second deadly mining accident in less than three weeks. Several people, again mostly women, died in a landslide at an artisanal gold mine last month.

Mali is one of world’s biggest gold producers, but much mining activity is unregulated.