At least 13 people have been killed and 7 others injured in a landslide at an illegal gold mine in southwest Colombia, a government official said.
Speaking to Caracol Radio on Thursday (August 21), Fredy Gamez, secretary of the government of Narino province, said: "Due to the activity inside the mine, a hillside collapsed and buried the people who were at the site."
The landslide occurred on the night of Wednesday (August 20), as Colombia continues to grapple with the aftermath of a 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck the western part of the country on August 10. According to Colombia's National Disaster Risk Management Agency, the death toll from the earthquake has reached 319, with thousands more injured.
Earlier, Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella asked the United States, the country's largest export market, to temporarily suspend tariffs to ease the burden on businesses amid the country's severe earthquake-related disruptions.
In May, an explosion at a legal coal mine in Cundinamarca province killed 9 workers and injured 6 others.
