Landslide Tragedy: 13 Killed in Unlicensed Colombian Gold Mine

Map showing Colombia with a marker for the capital, Bogota, and the location of the mine in the south of the country

A sudden landslide at an unlicensed artisanal gold mine in southern Colombia has left at least 13 workers dead and seven injured, officials say.

Witnesses heard an explosion at the open‑air mine on Wednesday afternoon, shortly before the workers below were trapped by the slide.

Emergency responders and local residents aided in retrieving bodies using heavy diggers.

The tragedy highlights risks of informal mining, where many Colombians rely on underground prospecting for income.

Among the dead were four members of an indigenous family; about 50 locals from the Quillacinga group regularly worked the site.

Estimates suggest that between 200,000 and 400,000 people engage in artisanal mining across Colombia, often without oversight.