Open-pit Gold Mine Collapse in Venezuela: "At Least 30 Dead, 100 Buried"

It May Take Time to Accurately Tally Human Casualties

A collapse accident occurred at an open-pit gold mine in Venezuela, South America, resulting in at least 130 casualties, with significant human losses expected.

Open-pit mine unrelated to the content of the article [Asia Economy file photo]

On the 21st (local time), local media such as El Universal reported that a collapse accident occurred the previous afternoon at the Buyaroca mine in the La Paragua area of Bol?var state, about 750 km from the capital Caracas. The mine is an open-pit gold mine exposed to the outside, and the accident appears to have happened when a landslide covered the surrounding area due to cracks in the ground there.

Jorhi Arsiniega, mayor of Angostura, the local municipality of the area, said in a phone interview with CNN Spanish, "According to our estimates, at least 30 people have died, and about 100 are buried," adding, "We have sent all available ambulances in the region to the site." Rescue teams dispatched to the scene are searching for missing persons, but it is reported that the search operation is difficult because the area is hard to access by land.

[Image source=Google Maps]

The Venezuelan government authorities expect that it will take some time to accurately tally the number of deaths, buried victims, and injured.

Meanwhile, in Bol?var, located in the eastern forest region of Venezuela, illegal mining of gold and various minerals is openly conducted. In May last year, a collapse accident occurred at a closed gold mine, killing 12 workers who were illegally working inside. Earlier, in 2021, a collapse accident occurred at a mine in the Bol?var state area, resulting in one death and 34 people being rescued.