Gold Mine Collapse in Southern Venezuela Killed At Least 12 People

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The collapse of gold mine following flooding has led to the death of at least 12 people, according to local authorities. The recovered bodies of dead miners were handed over to their families. The mishap occurred at the Talavera mine, located in El Callao, in Venezuela’s Bolivar state.

Meantime, 112 people are reported to have survived the mine collapse, as per Edgar Colina, the secretary for Citizen Security in Bolivar. The authorities are expected to return to the site in order to check for more survivors or victims.

RELATED NEWS:

Gold Mine Fire Killed 27 Mineworkers in Peru

Sudan Gold Mine Collapse Kills 14 Miners and Injures Over 20 People

The mine belongs to Orinoco Mining Arc, which has been known for unregulated mining activities and other illegal activities, including drug trafficking and mineral smuggling operqtions. The concession area for mining resources including gold, represents approximately 12% of the country’s total landmass.

It must be noted that various advocacy groups and other organizations have issued warnings about the region. Also, UN in its report last year had reported several incidents of human rights violations in Venezuela’s mining region.

The South-Central Venezuelan region comprises of highly destructive mining methods such as open pit mining that uses mercury in large quantities. This in turn has contaminated the soil layers and polluted the tributaries of important rivers that pass through the region.