Southern Copper Says 20 Injured in Attack at Peru Mining Project

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): A group of informal miners attacked facilities at an exploration project in southern Peru, injuring 20 workers and security guards, an official at concessionaire Southern Copper Corp. said Monday.

Images circulated in social media showed the Los Chancas mining camp in flames, reminiscent of a 2022 incident in which the camp was burnt down. The New York-listed firm said it was preparing to release a statement. Authorities are investigating, the company official said in text messages.

Peru is a major gold and copper supplier, with the two metals attracting more informal operators due to high prices, new techniques and a temporary registry designed to facilitate their formalization.

Some artisanal activity is encroaching on land held by large mining companies. Still, informal mining has considerable political support in Peru given how many jobs it provides in poor areas of the country.

Courtesy: www.mining.com