At least 5 victims, a pregnant woman and a child: dynamite used in conflict between gold miners in Bolivia
Kyiv • UNN
In Bolivia, at least five people died in an explosion at the Yani mining camp. The tragedy occurred due to a dispute between groups of gold miners, including a pregnant woman and a one-year-old child.
During a dispute between rival groups of gold miners in Bolivia, an explosion occurred in a three-story building, killing at least five people, including a pregnant woman and a one-year-old child.
This is reported by UNN with a link to EuroNews.
Details
The tragic incident occurred today in the mining camp of Yani, near the mountain town of Sorata, which is located approximately 150 km from the capital, La Paz. The explosion occurred in a three-story building. It also destroyed several other buildings. Cars and tractors were engulfed in flames. The electricity supply was also interrupted due to the incident.
In addition to the pregnant woman and the one-year-old child, three men were also among the dead
Their bodies were pulled from the rubble by firefighters, he added.
According to Johnny Aguilera, Bolivia's Deputy Minister of the Interior, the explosion was organized by remote control. The alleged perpetrator also died in the blast.
Cause of conflict
Disputes between different mining cooperatives in the country are not uncommon, as are disputes between them and employees of the state mining company Comibol, which came to dominate the mining industry under former President Evo Morales, who was in power from 2006 to 2019.
After a massive economic crisis that forced mining companies to cut staff, the number of cooperatives increased. Accordingly, competition between them has increased.
Recent data indicate that mining cooperatives mined 58% of all gold in Bolivia.
The bombing of the building was part of a dispute between two rival groups of mining companies that have been arguing for years over access to certain gold veins
In 2023, almost $2.87 billion (€2.6 billion) worth of gold was exported from the Latin American country.
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