At least 16 reportedly killed in collapse at illegal Venezuelan gold mine
At least 16 lives were lost in a tragic incident when the mud wall of an illegal gold mine collapsed in the jungles of southern Venezuela, officials confirmed Thursday, revising down an earlier figure. The catastrophe unfolded on Tuesday at the "Bulla Loca" mine in the state of Bolivar, located a seven-hour boat ride from the nearest town, La Paragua, where anxious family members awaited news.
Conflicting reports emerged regarding the casualty count. Edgar Colina Reyes, the secretary of citizen security for Bolivar state, stated that 16 people had perished. President Nicolas Maduro, in a video address, indicated a toll of 15 fatalities, with 11 others sustaining injuries.
"I convey my heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of those who tragically lost their lives in this accident," Maduro expressed on state television.
Earlier in the day, Yorgi Arciniega, mayor of the Angostura municipality, informed AFP that approximately 23 bodies had been recovered, including 15 that had been transported by boat to La Paragua, with around eight more en route.
Deputy Minister of Civil Protection Carlos Perez Ampueda shared a video of the incident but refrained from specifying the exact toll. It was estimated that around 200 individuals were working in the mine, according to official accounts.
The footage depicted numerous workers in the shallow waters of an open pit mine as an earth wall collapsed, some managing to escape while others were engulfed.
Carlos Marcano, a 71-year-old miner, described the scene at the mine as "terrifying."
In La Paragua on Wednesday, he told The Associated Press, "One wouldn't wish for a colleague, a fellow human being, to meet such a fate. Some of us were fortunate to escape. There are several wounded, but there are still numerous deceased individuals who remain unrecovered."
Mayor Arciniega, who had earlier mentioned 15 injured individuals, reported that four had been brought to La Paragua by boat for medical treatment by Wednesday afternoon.
Colina Reyes stated that the injured were being transported to a hospital in the regional capital, Ciudad Bolivar, a four-hour journey from La Paragua, which lies 460 miles southeast of the capital, Caracas.
Relatives anxiously awaited news of their loved ones on the shores.
"My brother, my brother, my brother," one person cried upon seeing a body being removed from a boat.
"We plead for helicopter support to evacuate the injured," a woman awaiting news of her brother-in-law, a father of three, told AFP.
Reyes mentioned that the military, firefighters, and other organizations were "mobilizing to the area by air" to assess the situation.
Rescue teams from Caracas were also being airlifted in to assist in the search and rescue efforts.
"We are assessing the extent of the damage and conducting a rescue assessment," added Ampueda.
In December of the previous year, at least 12 individuals lost their lives when a mine collapsed in the Indigenous community of Ikabaru, in the same region.
"The situation was inevitable," remarked resident Robinson Basanta regarding the hazardous working conditions of the miners, many of whom live in dire poverty.
"This mine has yielded substantial gold... People are driven there out of necessity, to make ends meet," he explained.
Activists have decried the "ecocide" in the area and the exploitation of children who endure long hours of labor without protection.
Over the past year, the Venezuelan Armed Forces have expelled approximately 14,000 illegal miners from the Yapacana National Park in the neighboring state of Amazonas.
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