Rescuers search for miners trapped in illegal Colombian shaft

Visible deforestation from illegal mining surrounds the Quito River, near Paimado, Colombia, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia, File)

Rescuers worked Friday to reach seven miners trapped in an illegal gold shaft that collapsed in southwest Colombia, officials said.

The seven had been underground since Thursday night after an apparent landslide in the conflict-ridden municipality of Santander de Quilichao in the Cauca department.

An AFP photographer at the scene saw an excavator digging through loose sand, mud and tree branches covering the entrance to the shaft, as several people stood around waiting for news on the miners’ fate.

Cauca is at the heart of operations by dissident fighters who turned their backs on a peace agreement signed between the government and the now-disarmed FARC guerrilla army.

Gold is extracted illegally in the region under orders from the guerrillas, who finance their activities with sales of the precious metal and cocaine trafficking. Accidents are common.