A collapse in the mine known as 'Bulla Loca' located in the Venezuelan state of Bolívar has left between 25 and 30 dead and a hundred people underground, the mayor of the town of Angostura, Yorgi Arciniega, told EFE and AFP agencies. .
La 'Bulla Loca' is an illegal gold mine in the Venezuelan town of La Paragua and, due to the remoteness of the region, there have been conflicting reports about the consequences of the incident, Arciniega added in a phone call with CNN.
Mine 'Bulla Loca'
“At this time we do not have an exact number.
There is talk of 25 dead and 15 injured,” indicated the municipal president in a text message sent to AFP.
Earlier, the regional government spoke of two deaths and the same number of injuries.
The mayor assured that relief teams and other rescue workers have been sent to the scene.
The injured were taken to a hospital in Ciudad Bolívar, capital of the province, which is located about 200 km from the site of the collapse.
It is believed that around 200 people worked there, according to AFP.
[The remains of two of the 10 miners buried in a mine in Mexico more than a year ago are located]
Egar Colina, part of the security department in the state government, added that more Bolívar officials were trying to reach the site to update the number of victims, injuries and possible people underground.
The mine, according to The Associated Press, can only be accessed by a boat trip of several hours.
Venezuela's Ministry of Communication and Information said Wednesday that there was still no complete count of those killed, trapped or injured.
The miners' relatives gathered in La Paragua, the community closest to the mine, to ask the Government to send planes to the remote location to rescue the injured and recover the bodies.
“We are here waiting, please, for the Government to support us with helicopters, planes, whatever,” said Karina Ríos, whose father was trapped in the collapse.
“There are quite a few dead, there are people injured.
Why don't they give us support, where are they?
Ríos said he is concerned that the bodies could decompose quickly due to the conditions in the area.
The Government of Venezuela established a huge mining development zone stretching across the center of the country in 2016 to add new revenue to its oil industry.
Since then, mining operations for gold, diamonds, copper and other minerals have proliferated inside and outside the area.
Many mines operate outside the law.
They offer lucrative jobs to ordinary Venezuelans, but the conditions are brutal.