LA PARAGUA, Venezuela: An illegal mine collapse in a remote forest in southern Venezuela may have killed 25 people, media reports suggest.
The incident happened on Tuesday afternoon in the city of Angostura in the state of Bolivar, about 460 kilometers southeast of the capital. Booming mining activity south of the Orinoco River has become a lifeline for nearby towns, attracting thousands of unemployed workers from across the country.
The incident occurred when a wall collapsed in a mine known as Bra Roca, which is only an hour away by boat. Venezuela’s Ministry of Communications and Information announced on Wednesday that authorities have not yet released the full number of dead, captured and injured.
Angostura Mayor Yorgi Arciniga said late Tuesday that he planned to transport “about 30 caskets” to community near the mine, suggesting officials feared the death toll could rise to dozens.
Relatives of the miners gathered in La Paragua, the closest town to the mine, to ask the government to send a plane to the remote area to rescue the injured and recover the bodies.
In 2016, the Venezuelan government created a massive mining district in the center of the country to generate new revenue alongside the oil industry. Since then, mining operations for gold, diamonds, copper and other minerals have expanded in and around the region.
Many mines operate outside the law or within the framework of the law. They provide high-paying jobs for ordinary Venezuelans, but conditions are tough.
