Death of 7 Miners in Gold Mine in Peru

Local police reported yesterday, Thursday, that at least seven workers at a small gold mine in southern Peru have died in what is believed to be an accident. Local police chief Enrique Felipe Monroy told RPP radio that the bodies of the victims were found at a depth of 1.5 kilometers in the mine and showed signs of injuries. Monroy stated that preliminary evidence suggests a collapse occurred in the mine located in the town of La Rinconada. The area contains hundreds of small mines, many of which operate without proper legal permits. Collapses or accidents are common in informal or illegal mines in Peru, the world's second-largest copper producer and seventh-largest gold producer, as workers extract ore without following safety or environmental regulations. Nine security personnel were killed in an armed attack at one of the largest gold mines in northern Peru earlier this month. The government and the mining company have accused "criminal gangs" operating on behalf of illegal mining companies of being behind the incident.