A collapse at an illegal gold mine in Mali's Kayes region on February 15 has reportedly killed at least 42 people, mostly women searching for gold scraps. Local sources cite conflicting death tolls: 48 from police and 43 from industry unions. This incident marks Mali's second deadly mining accident in three weeks, following a tunnel flooding in January that killed 13. The abandoned mine site was previously operated by a Chinese company and is situated between Kéniéba and Dabia. Accidents frequently occur in Mali due to the unregulated mining sector, raising safety concerns as the country relies heavily on gold production.