At least six miners were killed Monday when an open pit gold mine collapsed in a remote corner of Colombia’s Nariño province, authorities said BOGOTA, Colombia -- At least six miners were killed Monday when an open pit gold mine collapsed in a remote corner of Colombia’s Nariño province, authorities said. Jorge Tovar Castillo, a disaster response official in Nariño, said that an additional 12 to 15 miners have been reported as missing following the accident in the municipality of Santa Barbara de Iscuande. He said that municipal authorities were handling the response to the accident but added that communication had been difficult.
Santa Barbara de Iscuande is surrounded by dense rainforest and can only be reached by boat or small aircraft. Hundreds of small mines in Colombia operate without government permits and some are controlled by rebel groups. Besides being difficult to reach, Santa Barbara de Iscuande also faces security problems.
Two rebel groups reportedly operate in the area, including the Jacobo Arenas Block, a group led by former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) who refused to join a 2016 peace deal with Colombia's government. In a statement, Colombia's Ombudsman's Office urged armed groups in the area to allow humanitarian aid to reach the small town. Follow AP’s Latin America coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events
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