A fire in a small gold mine in Southern Peru has left 27 people dead, authorities said on Sunday, in the country’s single deadliest mining accident in more than two decades. There have been no reports of survivors, nor confirmation about how many people were in the mine at the time of the fire.
In a statement, the local government said a short-circuit sparked the fire in the early morning hours of Saturday in the southern region of Arequipa. Images on local media and on social media showed dark plumes of smoke pouring out of the site. ‘It’s been confirmed by the Yanaquihua police station, there are 27 dead’, local prosecutor Giovanni Matos told local television on Sunday.
Local media said earlier that the blaze started after an explosion at the mine in the remote Condesuyos province, a 10-hour drive from the city of Arequipa, the regional capital. The explosion ignited the wooden supports inside the mine in the town of Yanaquihua. The victims were 100 meters below ground, local media said. News of the fire was only published Sunday once police had gathered details of those who died. Rescue teams were trying to secure the mine before removing the victims’ bodies.
Peru is the world’s top gold producer and second-largest copper producer. According to data from Peru’s ministry of energy and mines, the incident is the single deadliest mining accident since 2000. The mine, operated by Minera Yanaquihua, is a legal enterprise but there are many illegal mines in the region. The company has been operating mines in Peru for 23 years.
Mining is one of the engines of the Peruvian economy, accounting for more than 8% of GDP. Last year, 39 people died in mining related incidents, according to the mining and energy ministry. But in 2020, four miners died after becoming trapped when a mine in Arequipa collapsed. It is also Latin America’s top producer of zinc, tin, lead and molybdenum.
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