The National Mining Agency (ANM) of Colombia has confirmed the deaths of 13 people, with seven others injured, in a landslide at an unlicensed open-pit gold mine in the village of Puerto Rico, in the Policarpa municipality of Nariño.
Initial reports from the agency indicate that the collapse took place at a site where unauthorised gold mining was allegedly being carried out using heavy machinery without regulation.
The landslide occurred when a section of the slope gave way due to unstable soil conditions.
According to a translated version of the original report, the ANM stated that its Mining Safety and Rescue team was involved in the emergency response from the outset and has been working closely with local authorities and emergency services at the scene.
The agency also conveyed its support for the families of the victims, those who were injured and the local community affected by the incident.
Local residents stated that the mine regularly employed around 50 people, most of whom belong to the Quillacinga indigenous group, reported the BBC.
Among those killed, four were reportedly members of a single indigenous family.
Fatal incidents occur frequently in Colombia, particularly at mines operating without official authorisation, where local residents extract precious metals without government supervision.
It is estimated that artisanal mining involves between 200,000 and 400,000 people in the country, with many families depending on the sale of the minerals and gemstones they recover for their livelihoods.
The ANM said it will continue to collaborate with authorities and the community to promote strategies that enhance the safety of miners operating within the legal framework.
In May 2026, nine people died following an explosion at a coal mine in Sutatausa, north of Bogotá.
Emergency responders managed to rescue six miners from the site, with authorities attributing the explosion to a build-up of gases.
In July 2025, 18 workers were rescued after being trapped for 18 hours at another gold mine in the Antioquia region, where faulty equipment had caused their entrapment.
