"Afghanistan gold mine collapse in Badakhshan kills 30", 6 January 2019

At least 30 people have been killed in the collapse of a gold mine in north-eastern Afghanistan, officials say...Villagers had reportedly dug a 60m (220ft) deep but makeshift shaft in a river bed to hunt for gold and were caught in its collapse.

Afghanistan has vast resources of minerals but many of the mines are old and poorly maintained, creating severe safety issues. Villagers were reportedly using an excavator at the site when the mine collapsed. At least seven other people were injured...

A spokesman for the National Disaster Management Authority [said...the families of the dead would receive 50,000 afghanis ($660; £520).

Afghanistan's vast resources remain largely untapped due to the conflict with the Taliban. The conflict has seen the rise in illegal mining both by villagers and Taliban fighters who use it as a key source of revenue.