At least 13 killed in landslide at illegal gold mine in Colombia

At least 13 people were killed and seven more injured in a landslide at an illegal gold mine in Colombia on Wednesday night, local authorities have confirmed.

A government source told the AFP news agency that the landslide at the mine in Policarpa in the country's southwestern Narino region was triggered by "improper extraction" of ore which undermined the mine's base and triggered a collapse.

"Due to the activity taking place in the mine, a slope collapsed onto the people," regional government secretary Fredy Gamez told local radio.

Local authorities ruled out the initial theory that the collapse was caused by an explosion — although this is a common occurance.

Rescue efforts involving firefighters, excavators and local residents continued until about 2 a.m. on Thursday morning when it was confirmed that all those missing had been located.

Colombia: how common are mining accidents?

Accidents at unregulated Colombian mines, often caused by explosions due to build-ups of gas, are fairly common.

Nineteen people were injured in a similar incident at a gold mine in Marmato in the Caldas department earlier this month.

And in May, nine workers were killed in a coal mine explosion in Sutatausa, about 70 kilometers (43.5 miles) north of the capital, Bogota.

Illegal mines in regions such as Narino are often operated by criminal groups to help fund their activities.

Edited by: Rob Turner