Feb 16, Kathmandu- An illegal gold mine in western Mali collapsed on Saturday, killing 48 people, police officials said. As of 18:00 local time, police officials said that 48 workers were killed in the mine collapse.

Mali is one of the major gold-producing countries in Africa. Police in Mali, one of the world's poorest countries, have struggled to control illegal mining of the precious metal.

At least 10 people were killed in a landslide in a gold mine in southern Mali last January. Most of them were women. A year ago, more than 70 people died when a tunnel collapsed in a gold mine in the same area where the mine is now located.