Kabul: At least 40 people have been killed as a gold mine caved in on Sunday in northern Afghanistan, authorities said.
Ten others were injured in the incident, which happened as they searched for gold in the
Provincial official Nek Mohammad Nazari said all of the victims were mine workers.
Earlier reports quoting
“The tragic incident happened around 10:30 a.m. local time in Shipo area of
Rescue operation for discovering the remaining people was going on, the official said, adding the number of casualties might go up.
In the insurgency-plagued Afghanistan where the central government’s control is poor especially in the rural areas and countryside, illegal armed men are often involved in illegal digging of natural treasures including gold, coal and lapis lazuli.