MADRID 15 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
At least four people died this Thursday, buried in an artisanal gold mine in the municipality of Timbiquí, in the Colombian department of Cauca (southwest), after a landslide fell on them with the collapse of the deposit.
The tragedy took place in the town of Cheté, where many families obtain their livelihood from artisanal mining, according to W Radio, and it was necessary to use machinery to rescue the bodies. Six people have managed to leave the mine alive.
The fatal victims have been identified as the brothers Dairon Yesid and Stiven García, Jhon Jairo and Eder Valencia. The mayor of Timbiquí, Kilian Cuero, has described the latter as “a peasant gentleman, who was dedicated to this activity in that area”, while lamenting that mining “was the only way to survive in these very territories.” excluded by the national government”.
The authorities of the area have assured that they will investigate the causes of the tragedy, but have announced that the collapse was not caused by the rains since the region suffers from an intense drought.