The accident took place in an open-pit area people had gone into in search of gold. Informal mining is a common and dangerous practice in much of West Africa.

Officials said the victims had climbed into the open-pit left by industrial miners in the hope of finding small pieces of gold.

More than 40 people, mostly women, were killed after an illegal gold mine collapsed in Mali on Saturday. The collapse took place near Kéniéba, in Mali's western, gold-rich Kayes region.