Thirteen people have been killed in a Guinea gold mine collapse. This accident occurred in a mine run by informal workers in Kintinia, about 800 km (500 miles) northeast of Conakry, an area known to hold some country’s largest gold reserves.

A source told Reuters that the workers were artisanal miners who took up work in a structure that had been closed. “We have counted 13 bodies since the collapse a few days ago,” he said. Informal mining in Guinea has been risky business considering how dangerous it has grown to become. There have also been a number of accidents and cases of suffocation in the fragile and narrow shafts.

But despite efforts to shut down secret mines in the province, many locals continue to risk their lives with the hopes of a better future.

Guinea is a legitimate contender in the mining space. It is home to one-third of the global bauxite resources and the world’s largest undeveloped iron project at Simandou. The undeveloped Simandou project is worth approximately $25 billion with the government working to install a legitimate operator, e.g. Rio Tinto, to get the project running at full strength.

More updates coming soon.

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