Potosí mining accidents claim multiple lives in September

A series of fatal mining accidents in Potosí, Bolivia, has resulted in multiple deaths during the month of September. On September 29, two separate incidents occurred where workers fell from significant heights. Paulino Álvarez Villa, 41, died after falling 40 meters while attempting to clear stones in the Unificada mine, and Ever Carvajal, 47, died after falling 50 meters at the Santiago Bajo R. L. mining cooperative.

On the same day, a collapse occurred at the 9 de Abril mining cooperative in the Cerro Rico area. The incident, which took place near the Mejora entrance, involved a platform failure spanning approximately 100 meters. This collapse killed three young workers—Álex Mostajo Yuhra (24), Limber Manrique Taboada (24), and Tesiderio Saavedra Suyo (26)—and left two others, Alexander Conde Ibáñez and Ernesto Dorado Zárate, injured.

Local police and emergency services are investigating the causes of these incidents, including whether the Cerro Rico collapse was caused by a cave-in or a structural failure. By the end of September, the total number of mining fatalities in the region reached 120, comprising 108 men and 12 women.