At least 12 people died of suffocation due to the collapse of a mine in the Venezuelan Amazon, in the southeast of the country.
The security secretary of the Bolívar state government, General Edgar Colina Reyes, reported that the authorities found the bodies in the Isidora mine, located in the El Callao municipality.
The miners “entered a mine that had been closed for a long time,” Colina said, according to the AFP agency.
The government spokesman explained that during the rescue efforts, five bodies were recovered on Friday and seven on Saturday.
According to this report, hethe miners passed away on Wednesday, after the mine was flooded by the rains and the group was left underground without an oxygen supply.
He added that so far the victims have not been identified.
In 2021, a shaft collapse at the same gold mine killed one person, while 34 others were rescued.
Gold mining is concentrated in southern Venezuelaespecially in Bolívar state.
Many of these mines operate illegally and accidents are common.
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See original article on BBC