Toll rises to 12 dead in Colombia mine disaster

The death toll from a landslide at an illegal gold mine in westernColombia has risen to 12, authorities said Monday, as rescuers searched for fourmore missing victims.The open pit mine was being worked by miners with hand tools when it was hit lastWednesday by an avalanche of mud, rock and earth."On Sunday we discovered an additional person, a woman. In total, nine victimshave been recovered, plus the three found dead the day of the collapse," saidLieutenant Colonel Mauricio Cardenas, director of operations in western Cauca statewhere the incident took place.Rescuers aided by police dogs were carefully searching the unstable terrain by handto avoid damaging the remaining bodies.Several bodies have already been identified and returned to their families, Cardenassaid, adding that search operations will continue "until we find the last one."The unlicensed mine, located in the rural community of Santander de Quilichao, willbe closed once the search operation is finished, officials said. Since the beginning of the year, 25 mining accidents have occurred in Colombia,half of them involving unlicensed gold mining operations, according to theNational Mining Agency.Colombia has upwards of 14,000 mines, more than half of which operate withoutproper permits, officials say.