BAMAKO, Feb 16, (Xinhua): At least 48 people, most of them women, were killed on Saturday when an "illegally operated gold mining site" collapsed in western Mali, according to consistent eyewitness accounts from the area. The tragedy occurred in Bilalkoto, a village in the commune of Dabia, located in the Kenieba district of the Kayes region.

A local official, who spoke to Xinhua anonymously, said that a Caterpillar machine allegedly fell onto an artisanal mine where a group of women were working in search of gold. The official and other witnesses confirmed that "48 women died on the spot," while about 10 severely injured individuals were taken to a local hospital for treatment.

"Some sources report around 50 deaths. However, for now, it is difficult to confirm an exact toll, even provisionally, as the number could rise at any moment due to the severity of some injuries," the official told Xinhua. Rescue operations are still ongoing. On Jan 29, a gold mine collapse at a mining site in the Danga area of the Kangaba district, Koulikoro region, killed about 10 people.