At least 18 people are dead and seven others injured after a gold mine collapsed in Niger on Sunday, officials report.
Adamou Guero, mayor of the nearby village Dan-Issa, told Reuters the death toll is expected to rise following the collapse of artisanal wells in the mine near the border of Niger and Nigeria. Nigerian nationals were among those injured, according to the mayor.
“When we arrived at the site yesterday, people were still searching for bodies,” Guero said Monday.”It’s something which is common in gold mines. It’s very difficult to control.”
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The collapse took place in the Maradi region of Niger. The region’s governor, Aboubacar Chaibou, visited the site Monday and said local authorities would reorganize operations so people could work in the mine safely and legally, according to the Associated Press.
“We are going to look at all of this and ensure maximum security,” Chaibou said.
Thousands of people have flooded the town to work in the mine while several residents already work there.
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Mine collapses are not uncommon in the western region of Africa, as miners use outdated methods on unstable soil. Similar artisanal mines were closed by the local Niger government in 2017 to modernize mining, Reuters added.
Niger is one of the world’s poorest countries. Thousands have recently fled there from their homes due to violence.
