At least 11 people have died after part of a makeshift gold mine collapsed in eastern Guinea, the Red Cross told AFP.

According to official figures, 10 women and one man were killed in a landslide that occurred on Wednesday near the Kondianakoro commune, in the eastern part of the country. Red Cross representative Amara Diallo said the women were working in the mine at the time of the collapse and their bodies were pulled from the rubble several hours later.

A young man died on Thursday from his injuries, bringing the death toll to 11.

According to preliminary information, the victims had gone to the mine to "clean and process ore residues", a widespread practice in areas where gold mining is carried out on an artisanal basis. During the process, a wall of one of the galleries collapsed and large amounts of soil, caused by the pressure, buried the workers, a local official told AFP.

The tragedy has brought to light the serious dangers posed by improvised mines, which often lack basic safety measures. “Similar accidents happen frequently in the region, but they do not discourage illegal miners,” Diallo said.

Meanwhile, there have been conflicting statements about the nationalities of the victims. According to the Red Cross, all were Guinean citizens, while the mayor of Kondianakoro, Banju Haoua Keita, stated that 10 of the women were from Burkina Faso.

Guinea, with a population of about 15 million, is rich in mineral resources such as bauxite, iron, diamonds and gold. However, according to the World Food Programme, about 7.7 million people live in poverty, which forces many of them to seek income in the informal and often dangerous artisanal mining sector.