Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) - A wall of rain-sodden earth collapsed into an illegal, open-air gold mining pit in southwestern Colombia on Friday, killing five miners and injuring 12, authorities said.
Red Cross spokesman Cesur Uruena in Bogota said heavy rains were impeding attempts to land helicopters in the municipality of Santa Barbara de Iscuande in Narino state to evacuate the injured. He put the death toll at five.
"This is completely illegal mining," said the Narino security chief Jaime Rodriguez, adding that Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia guerrillas were active in the area.
(Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
