Search efforts are still underway for as many as 17 workers still trapped at a small gold mine in northern Peru.
The operation, according to Reuters, was allegedly attacked by suspected illegal miners on 12 January that may have been the workers’ rivals.
Segundo Armas, mayor of the Pataz district in the region of La Libertad, did not confirm the name of the operation, and also could not detail how many workers were able to escape, lending truth to the potential of all involved being informal miners.
“The area is difficult to access and we are trying to confirm the number of those trapped,” Armas told the news service. He noted that cellular service also does not reach the mine.
According to Reuters stats, La Libertad is one of the regions with the highest gold production in Peru; 40% or more of its supply comes from artisanal or informal miners.
Source: Reuters