Gold Paid for in Blood: 13 Dead at an Illegal Mine in Nariño
21 August 2026 | Colombia
While the western part of the country was recovering from the earthquake, a new tragedy shook the south.
In the municipality of Policarpa ((Nariño Department), an artisanal gold mine collapsed. Buried under tons of earth and rocks, they died 13 people. Another 7 were injured, 1 is missing.
The most horrifying part: among the dead were four members of the same family. They were members of the Kyllasinga Indigenous people. They came to the mine to provide for their loved ones, but returned in coffins.
The cause: a slope collapse caused by improper excavation. Authorities say there was no explosion—the mine simply “gave way” because of the way the extraction was carried out.
The mine is illegal. There are thousands like it across the country. People go there out of desperation: there are no jobs, but they still have to feed their families.
This is not an isolated case. Every year, dozens of miners die in “wildcat” mines in Colombia. No safety equipment, no oversight, no room for error.
And until the state offers these people an alternative, the earth will continue to claim them again and again.
🕯 13 lives. One family. One country that once again pays for gold with blood.
Source: El Tiempo, BBC, local authorities
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