LIMA—A fire in a small gold mine in southern Peru has left 27 people dead, authorities said on Sunday, in the country’s single deadliest mining accident in more than two decades.
According to the local authorities, the fire was started by a short-circuit in the early morning hours of Saturday in Arequipa's southern district. Images in the local press and on social media showed heavy plumes of smoke coming from the scene.
Yanaquihua, a small-scale company, operates the mine. A request for comment was not immediately returned by the corporation.
"It's been confirmed by the Yanaquihua police station, there are 27 dead," local prosecutor Giovanni Matos said on local television on Sunday.
Peru is the world's leading gold producer and the world's second-largest copper producer. According to the Peruvian Ministry of Energy and Mines, this is the bloodiest mining disaster since 2000.
In 2022, 38 people were murdered in mining accidents around the country, exposing the dangers of mining in Latin America. In 2002, Peru experienced its bloodiest year, with 73 individuals killed in various mining incidents.
