At least 11 miners were killed after a landslide struck an illegal gold mining site in eastern Madagascar, authorities said, highlighting ongoing concerns over unsafe mining practices in remote regions of the island nation.

Local officials reported that the incident occurred early Wednesday at a gold mining area near Vatomandry, a district on Madagascar’s eastern coast, where informal and unauthorized mining activities have expanded in recent years.

Gabin Razafindrakoto, commander of the Vatomandry gendarmerie brigade, said preliminary investigations showed the victims were working during nighttime hours when the ground collapsed, complicating rescue operations and delaying emergency access to the site.

Authorities said emergency teams and local security forces were deployed to recover bodies and assess whether additional miners remained trapped under debris. Officials have not yet ruled out the possibility of further casualties.

Regional authorities ordered the immediate closure of the mining area to prevent additional activity and reduce the risk of further landslides or structural collapses, while warning residents to stay away from the site.

Investigators are continuing efforts to determine the exact cause of the landslide, though local media reports and mining observers have frequently linked similar incidents in Madagascar to unstable excavation methods, poor safety conditions and unregulated extraction activities.

Illegal and informal mining operations remain widespread across Madagascar, particularly in gold-producing regions, where poverty and limited economic opportunities continue to drive thousands toward high-risk mining work despite recurring accidents and government crackdowns.

The latest tragedy adds to a series of deadly mining-related incidents in Madagascar and has renewed scrutiny over safety enforcement and oversight in unauthorized extraction zones. (ILKHA)