Landslide at Colombian gold mine kills at least nine

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 19 Oct, 22:19 · Archive

A landslide at a gold mine in southwestern Colombia has killed at least nine people, with around 30 others feared trapped.

A landslide has struck a gold mine in the village of El Chambero in Nariño department in southwestern Colombia, near the Pacific coast. At least nine people have been confirmed dead, though The Mirror reports local media suggesting between nine and 20 deaths. Around 30 workers are thought to have been at the mine when the collapse occurred, with an unknown number still trapped.

Emergency services including firefighters, the Navy, National Army and Civil Defence have begun rescue operations at the remote site. Nariño's secretary of peace and human rights confirmed the preliminary death toll. Local authorities have requested urgent support from national bodies, including military aircraft for rescue operations, activation of the hospital network, and consideration of deploying the Benkos Biojó hospital ship from Guapi to provide medical assistance.

Colombia's Ombudsman's Office released a statement emphasising that 'the priority at this moment is to save lives and ensure immediate and coordinated attention to the emergency', without providing a confirmed death toll. An official statement from Colombian authorities was expected with more information on the incident.

How it is being reported

• At least 9 killed in landslide at Colombian gold mineAt least nine people were killed Monday when a landslide struck a gold mine in southwestern Colombia, leaving an unknown number of workers trapped.UPI · 19 Oct, 22:00
• 'At least 20 dead' and dozens trapped after horror mine collapse in ColombiaAn emergency has been declared after a mine collapsed in the village of El Chambero in the south west of Colombia with as many as 20 people also feared dead, according to local reportsThe Mirror · 19 Oct, 19:32

In this story: Colombia · Nariño · El Chambero · Santa Bárbara de Iscuandé · Colombian Navy · National Army · Ombudsman's Office

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem