Dozens killed in explosion at gold mine in Burkina Faso

A strong explosion at an informal gold panning site in southwestern Burkina Faso killed nearly 59 people and injured more than 100 others Monday.

Gomgombiro is one of hundreds of small-scale gold panning sites that have appeared in Burkina Faso in recent years - like this site in Bouda, in the north of the country, which operate under the radar of regulations and oversight. © Sam Mednick/AP

Witnesses described scenes of horror around the blast site, at the Gomgombiro site in the village of Gbomblora in Poni province, with uprooted trees and bodies scattered around a large crater created by the explosion.

State television reported at least 59 people were killed, while local medics warned the death toll could rise, as more bodies are found.

Poni's high commissioner Antoine Douamba told state television that the cause of the explosion was unknown, though local officials and hospital staff said the blast was caused by a fire at a site stocking contraband dynamite.

Gold has become Burkina Faso's main export in recent years, and small, informal sites, like Gomgombiro, are on the rise.

The official gold mining sector employs some 15,000 people directly, though authorities estimate some 1.2 million people work in small-scale, ‘artesanal' mines, which tend to operate with less oversight and be less regulated.

Small-scale mines are also reportedly used by jihadists linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State armed group, which have staged attacks in Burkina Faso since 2016.

Though the Gomgombiro site is hundreds of kilometers from where these groups usually operate, and there was no sign that Islamist militants were involved in the explosion.

(with wires)