A violent clash between two groups of Bolivian miners disputing the exploitation of small gold deposits left six people dead and some others missing, a mining cooperative representative said on April 3, Report informs via Reuters.
The incident started early in the morning in the municipality of Sorata, 150 km north from the capital, La Paz, according to Bolivian police.
The clash also caused serious damage as police and firefighters were deployed to the area of the incident.
"They have blown up machinery with dynamite, even a diesel tank. So far six people were killed and others are missing", said Jhonny Silva, representative of the Hijos de Ingenio Mining Cooperative.
The conflict involved the Senor de Mayo mining cooperative and the Hijos de Ingenio cooperative, the departmental police commander Gunther Agudo told the press, adding that the clash "caused an explosion of great magnitude."
In Bolivia, the mining sector is operated by three divisions: state-owned, private and cooperative. The latter has come under criticism due to illegal exploitation that harms the environment and generates constant conflicts with other miners and rural communities.