At least eleven people, including ten women, were killed in the collapse of an artisanal gold mine near Kondianakoro in eastern Guinea. The landslide occurred on Wednesday while the victims were washing and processing mining waste, reigniting concerns about safety at the country's artisanal gold mining sites.

A collapse in an artisanal gold mine has killed at least 11 people in eastern Guinea, the Red Cross told AFP on Friday, February 13.

According to the Red Cross, 10 women and one man were killed in the collapse that occurred on Wednesday in a mine located near the town of Kondianakoro, in the east of the country.

The women were working in the mine when the landslide occurred, and their bodies were recovered several hours later, Amara Diallo, a local Red Cross representative, told AFP. The young man died Thursday from his injuries, according to the Red Cross official.

Washing and treatment of mining waste

The victims had gone to the site to carry out "washing and processing of mining waste," a common activity in artisanal gold mining areas. It was during these operations that the walls of a shaft collapsed and, under pressure, large masses of earth broke away, burying the victims, a local official told AFP.

This tragedy reignites the debate about safety at artisanal gold mining sites, often characterized by precarious working conditions and a lack of safety measures. "Similar accidents are frequent in the region" and "do not deter illegal miners," lamented Mr. Diallo.

According to the Red Cross, all the victims are Guinean. But according to the mayor of Kondianakoro, Bandjou Hawa Keita, all ten women were from Burkina Faso.

Guinea, with a population of approximately 15 million, is rich in minerals, including bauxite, iron, diamonds, and gold. Yet, according to data from the World Food Programme, some 7.7 million people there live in poverty.