Five people, described as four men and a young girl, have been confirmed dead following a landslide at an illegal gold mine near Urbinas in Esmeraldas Province in northern Ecuador at about 3.00 pm on Wednesday 18 November 2020. Another three people were rescued alive. The incident reportedly happened as the miners were cutting into a slope with a mechanical excavator amid a heavy rain storm. Landslides are a common problem after severe weather events, as excess pore water pressure can overcome cohesion in soil and sediments, allowing them to flow like liquids. Approximately 90% of all landslides are caused by heavy rainfall.
Esmeraldas Province, and neighbouring areas of southern Colombia, have seen a sharp rise in illegal gold mining in the past decade, driven by widespread poverty and a high international gold price. Local authorities have struggled to control this industry, which is thought to employ thousands of people, and is thought to be largely controlled by criminal organisations which are also involved in other activities, such as illegal timber extraction and the supply of narcotics. Such mines typically have little, if any, safety precautions in place, and many are thought to use forced labour.
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