At least 14 workers killed as unlicensed gold mine collapses in Colombia's Narino province

An open-pit gold mine collapsed in a remote area of Narino province in Colombia, killing at least 14 workers. The mine was operating without a permit.

The Narino administration said in a statement that the accident took place on Monday near a small town called Santa Barbara de Escuande. Seven others were injured. The administration said the rescue and search operation ended on Monday night. Only preliminary information on the number of injured is available.

"This emergency has once again exposed the dangers linked to illegal or informal mining. In less than three months, a total of 27 people have died in two mining accidents in Narino," the statement said.

Santa Barbara de Escuande is surrounded by dense rainforest and can be reached only by boat or small aircraft, which made it difficult for rescue teams to reach the area.

Narino Governor Luis Alfonso Escobar said: "Entire families have been devastated in this tragic accident. It is very sad." Hundreds of small mines in Colombia operate without government permission, and some of them are under the control of armed rebel groups. Santa Barbara de Escuande is hard to reach and also faces security problems.

Two armed groups are active in the area, including the Jacobo Arenas Block, which is led by former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The groups had refused to join the 2016 peace agreement with the Colombian government.

Colombia's ombudsman's office issued a statement appealing to the armed groups in the area to allow humanitarian aid to reach the town. The office wrote on X: "All our efforts must be focused on saving lives and dealing with this emergency."