Guinea’s gold mine collapse kills 18

At least 18 people were killed when an informal gold mine collapsed this week in western Guinea.

According to the government spokesman, the accident took place in Gaoual, about 386 km (240 miles) from the capital Conakry, where miners have flocked in recent months to pan for gold.

“For the moment, 18 bodies have been extracted and we are not finished yet. Rescue operations continue,” government spokesman Ousmane Gaoual Diallo said.

Accidents are common at the artisanal mines across West Africa, where they operate without much oversight or regulation.

At least 15 people were killed in a similar incident at an artisanal gold mine in northeastern Guinea last May.

Reuters/Olajumoke / Qasim