Colombia mine landslide kills 14 at illegal gold site

A landslide at an illegal gold mine in southwestern Colombia killed 14 people and injured seven, a regional official said Monday.

Narino's Peace and Security Secretary Alex Gonzalez gave the revised toll to the Caracol network and said the search for survivors had ended.

The governor's office said rescue teams struggled to reach the site because of difficult terrain and the presence of criminal groups.

Narino, on the border with Ecuador, is a hotspot for illegal mining. Armed groups in the region control the clandestine gold trade and are also involved in drug trafficking and extortion.

Mine accidents are frequent in Colombia, particularly at unregulated sites. Locals in the municipality where the mine collapsed have reported selective killings by armed groups over suspicions of collaboration with security forces or rival organisations, or of stealing gold.