Dozens of people are suspected to have died after an illegal gold mine in the Venezuelan city of La Paragua collapsed, according to the city's mayor, Yorgi Arciniega.
According to estimates so far, dozens of people have been killed and many more are still trapped in the collapsed mine.
But because of the remoteness of the region, in the southeastern state of Bolivar, there are conflicting reports about the extent of the incident, Arciniega told CNN in a telephone call.
Aid teams and rescue workers have been sent to the area where the mine is located, called Bulla Loca, the mayor said.
Unofficially, 47 victims and over 100 others trapped in the mine are reported on social networks.
Since el Edo. Bolivar llega información de un derumbe en la mine "Bulla Loca" located in La Paragua. Una mina con menos de un año de creación, el rumbe fue confirmed por @FeyAlegriaVE .
— Melanio Escobar (@MelanioBar) February 21, 2024
Todavía no se tiene la cifra exacta de mineros "artesanales" heridos y muertos, pero en... pic.twitter.com/OoOXflSO36
???????????? In Venezuela, an undetermined number of people have died after the landslide in the Bulla Loca mine, located in Paraguay.
— Informe Orwell (@InformeOrwell) February 21, 2024
Las minas de oro son controladas por grupos criminales bajo la protección del regime de Maduro.
Periodistas de la zone… pic.twitter.com/FXPFhG9e5w