At least 18 killed in artisanal gold mine collapse in Niger

NIAMEY, Nov 8 (Reuters) - At least 18 people were killed onSunday in an artisanal gold mine collapse in southern Niger, thelocal mayor said on Monday.

The disaster took place in the southern Maradi region, nearthe border with Nigeria. The death toll is likely to rise, saidAdamou Guero, mayor of the commune of Dan Issa."When we arrived at the site yesterday, people were stillsearching for bodies," he said."It's something which is common in gold mines. It's verydifficult to control," Guero added.Artisanal miners often use old-fashioned and unregulatedmethods of digging, leading to frequent deadly accidents.

Increasing demand for metals and rising prices havetriggered a boom in small-scale mining in poor countries aroundthe world in recent years. The activity is common across much ofWest Africa. (Reporting by Boureima Balima; Writing by Nellie Peyton;Editing by Peter Cooney)

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