An avalanche killed six miners in an informal gold mine in Puno as heavy snows blanket the region.
At least six and as many as eight miners from San Antonio de Putina province perished under 13 feet of snow in an avalanche which occurred around 3 p.m. on Saturday. The workers apparently ignored warnings from Peru’s national weather service about heavy snow and extreme cold.
Police and government authorities could not immediately assist in rescue efforts because the roads leading to the Ananea district’s Lunar de Oro mining community were covered in snow.
Peru’s national weather service SENAMHI issued a level-4 alert, the level indicating the highest risk possible, for Puno’s San Antonio de Putina province and other regions above 13,000 feet in altitude which were forecasted to see up to 20 inches of snow and temperatures as low as -4 degrees Fahrenheit.
The civil defense authority distributed heavy blankets to residents of the Putina, Ananea, Quilcapuncu, Sina, Capazo and Mazocruz districts.
Sources
Rescatan cuerpos de las 6 víctimas de una avalancha en La Rinconada (Andina)
Coordinan atención inmediata con ayuda humanitaria por heladas en Puno (Andina)
Zonas altas de Puno soportarán un descenso de temperatura de -20 °C (Andina)
Tres mineros mueren luego de ser sepultados por avalancha en Puno (La Republica)
Puno: Rescatan cuerpos de las 6 víctimas de una avalancha (Peru.com)
