Colombia · Department
Cauca
71
registered emergencies
ⓘ
A mining emergency reported to ANM and handled by its mine-rescue stations and support points, as listed in the register the agency delivered in answer to a public-information petition. It is not every mining death in the country.133
deaths
107
deaths at illicit workings
ⓘ
ANM classifies each emergency by the legal status of the working where it happened: legal, illicit or other. The classification is ANM's, not ours.147
active
ⓘ
A título minero is a concession contract or licence registered in the Registro Minero Nacional; ANM's cadastre lists each with its expediente code, holders, minerals, stage and status.47
companies
ⓘ
NIT is Colombia's tax identifier (Número de Identificación Tributaria). ANM's cadastre publishes it for every company holder, so records join exactly.In Cauca, between 2005 and Sep 20, 2026, ANM's emergency register lists 71 mining emergencies with 133 deaths; 80.5% of the deaths occurred at workings ANM classifies as illicit.
From the emergency register ANM delivered to Mining Incidents in answer to a derecho de petición (radicado 20261004896502; answer 20263410388871). ANM register with emergencies through Sep 24, 2026 (extract of Sep 28, 2026, delivered Sep 30, 2026).
Emergencies and deaths by year, ANM register
| Year | Emergencies | Killed | Deaths, legal | Deaths, illicit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 5 | 11 | 1 | 10 | |
| 2024 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | |
| 2023 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | |
| 2022 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 5 | |
| 2021 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 6 | |
| 2020 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | |
| 2019 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2017 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 4 | |
| 2016 | 6 | 12 | 2 | 10 | |
| 2015 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | |
| 2014 | 8 | 24 | 3 | 21 | |
| 2013 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 3 | |
| 2012 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 7 | |
| 2010 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 4 | |
| 2007 | 2 | 22 | 1 | 21 | |
| 2005 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Deaths are split by the legal status ANM assigns the working; deaths at workings ANM classes as "other" count in the total and in neither column. The current year is partial.
Municipalities
| Municipality | Emergencies | Killed | Deaths, illicit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buenos Aires | 29 | 23 | 6 |
| Santander de Quilichao | 11 | 36 | 36 |
| El Tambo | 7 | 8 | 3 |
| Suárez | 7 | 30 | 30 |
| Guapi | 5 | 12 | 12 |
| Timbiquí | 3 | 12 | 12 |
| Almaguer | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Páez | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Caloto | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| La Sierra | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| López de Micay | 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Miranda | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Puracé | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Municipalities with 10 or more emergencies in the register have their own page. "Municipality not recognized" groups the rows whose printed municipality is not a municipality of this department in DANE's DIVIPOLA list.
By accident type, mineral and legal status
| Legal status | Emergencies | Killed | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illicit | 42 | 107 | |
| Legal | 29 | 26 |
| Exploitation | Emergencies | Killed | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Underground | 60 | 82 | |
| Open pit | 11 | 51 |
| Accident type | Emergencies | Killed | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground failure | 29 | 44 | |
| Contaminated or unbreathable atmosphere | 11 | 13 | |
| Slope instability | 9 | 50 | |
| Flooding | 5 | 6 | |
| Explosion | 4 | 6 | |
| Handling explosives and blasting accessories | 3 | 3 | |
| Electrical | 2 | 2 | |
| Fall from height | 2 | 2 | |
| Fire | 2 | 0 | |
| Landslide | 2 | 5 | |
| Heavy machinery | 1 | 1 | |
| Mechanical | 1 | 1 |
| Mineral | Emergencies | Killed | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | 52 | 119 | |
| Coal | 15 | 9 | |
| Phosphate rock | 2 | 3 | |
| Sand | 1 | 1 | |
| Construction materials | 1 | 1 |
Latest emergencies in ANM's register
| Date | Place | Accident type | Legal status | Killed | Injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 20, 2026 |
El Tambo, Cauca · POR DETERMINAR
Contaminated or unbreathable atmosphere · Coal · Expediente JII-14591 |
Contaminated or unbreathable atmosphere | Legal | 1 | 0 |
| Jan 8, 2026 |
Santander de Quilichao, Cauca
Contaminated or unbreathable atmosphere · Gold |
Contaminated or unbreathable atmosphere | Illicit | 1 | 0 |
| Oct 29, 2025 |
Caloto, Cauca · Cantera El Palo
Ground failure · Sand · Expediente ED3-092 |
Ground failure | Legal | 1 | 0 |
| Sep 11, 2025 |
Santander de Quilichao, Cauca · No se cuenta con la información
Ground failure · Gold |
Ground failure | Illicit | 7 | 0 |
| May 1, 2025 |
Suárez, Cauca
Ground failure · Gold |
Ground failure | Illicit | 1 | 3 |
| Mar 31, 2025 |
Suárez, Cauca
Landslide · Gold · Expediente ARE-PLU-08061X |
Landslide | Illicit | 1 | 0 |
| Jan 11, 2025 |
Santander de Quilichao, Cauca · BRASILIA
Flooding · Gold |
Flooding | Illicit | 1 | 0 |
| Nov 14, 2024 |
Timbiquí, Cauca
Landslide · Gold |
Landslide | Illicit | 4 | 0 |
| Dec 15, 2023 |
Suárez, Cauca
Contaminated or unbreathable atmosphere · Gold |
Contaminated or unbreathable atmosphere | Illicit | 3 | 2 |
| Nov 16, 2023 |
El Tambo, Cauca · CHEDE
Ground failure · Gold · Expediente 22220 |
Ground failure | Legal | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 8, 2023 |
Buenos Aires, Cauca · LA LECHE
Ground failure · Gold · Expediente ARE-19141 |
Ground failure | Legal | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 12, 2023 |
El Tambo, Cauca
Ground failure · Coal |
Ground failure | Illicit | 0 | 1 |
| Nov 1, 2022 |
Buenos Aires, Cauca
Electrical · Coal |
Electrical | Illicit | 1 | 0 |
| Oct 21, 2022 |
Santander de Quilichao, Cauca · CUBICO LOS CACAOS
Contaminated or unbreathable atmosphere · Gold |
Contaminated or unbreathable atmosphere | Illicit | 1 | 1 |
| Jul 27, 2022 |
Santander de Quilichao, Cauca · CÚBICO SECTOR SAN ANTONIO
Contaminated or unbreathable atmosphere · Gold |
Contaminated or unbreathable atmosphere | Illicit | 2 | 0 |
| Apr 27, 2022 |
Buenos Aires, Cauca · La Milagrosa
Fall from height · Gold · Expediente 19141 |
Fall from height | Legal | 1 | 0 |
| Jan 12, 2022 |
Santander de Quilichao, Cauca · Brasilia
Flooding · Gold |
Flooding | Illicit | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 12, 2021 |
Buenos Aires, Cauca
Mechanical · Gold · Expediente 19140 |
Mechanical | Legal | 1 | 0 |
| May 29, 2021 |
Guapi, Cauca
Ground failure · Gold |
Ground failure | Illicit | 2 | 0 |
| Jan 14, 2021 |
Santander de Quilichao, Cauca
Ground failure · Gold |
Ground failure | Illicit | 4 | 1 |
| Nov 10, 2020 |
Buenos Aires, Cauca
Explosion · Coal |
Explosion | Illicit | 2 | 0 |
| Aug 5, 2020 |
Santander de Quilichao, Cauca
Ground failure · Gold |
Ground failure | Illicit | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 9, 2020 |
Buenos Aires, Cauca · EVENESER
Flooding · Gold · Expediente 19141 |
Flooding | Legal | 1 | 0 |
| Feb 26, 2020 |
Miranda, Cauca · CANTERA POTOSÍ
Heavy machinery · Construction materials · Expediente EGF-141 |
Heavy machinery | Legal | 1 | 0 |
| Sep 6, 2019 |
Buenos Aires, Cauca · LA VETICA
Ground failure · Gold · Expediente ARE-PLU-08072X |
Ground failure | Legal | 0 | 0 |
| Aug 15, 2019 |
Buenos Aires, Cauca · PALMICHAL
Fire · Coal |
Fire | Illicit | 0 | 0 |
| May 28, 2019 |
Buenos Aires, Cauca · EL PALMAR
Ground failure · Coal · Expediente DER-151 |
Ground failure | Legal | 1 | 0 |
| Mar 21, 2019 |
El Tambo, Cauca · Mina El Trio Agua Clara
Handling explosives and blasting accessories · Gold · Expediente 18114 |
Handling explosives and blasting accessories | Legal | 1 | 1 |
| Mar 16, 2019 |
Almaguer, Cauca · MINA LAS MORAS
Contaminated or unbreathable atmosphere · Gold · Expediente ARE-TAV-15291 |
Contaminated or unbreathable atmosphere | Legal | 2 | 0 |
| Nov 2, 2018 |
Buenos Aires, Cauca · COOPERATIVA MULTIACTIVA UNION DE MINEROS- COOMULTIMINEROS
Fall from height · Coal · Expediente 19141 |
Fall from height | Legal | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 13, 2018 |
El Tambo, Cauca
Explosion · Gold · Expediente GDI-138 |
Explosion | Legal | 1 | 1 |
| Mar 20, 2018 |
Santander de Quilichao, Cauca
Ground failure · Gold |
Ground failure | Illicit | 2 | 1 |
| Nov 14, 2017 |
Buenos Aires, Cauca · PIENDAMO
Contaminated or unbreathable atmosphere · Gold |
Contaminated or unbreathable atmosphere | Illicit | 1 | 0 |
| Oct 19, 2017 |
Buenos Aires, Cauca · EL BETON
Explosion · Gold · Expediente 19141 |
Explosion | Legal | 1 | 1 |
| Mar 22, 2017 |
Buenos Aires, Cauca
Ground failure · Gold |
Ground failure | Illicit | 1 | 3 |
| Feb 16, 2017 |
Guapi, Cauca
Slope instability · Gold |
Slope instability | Illicit | 2 | 5 |
| Oct 12, 2016 |
Guapi, Cauca
Ground failure · Gold |
Ground failure | Illicit | 2 | 0 |
| Aug 27, 2016 |
Buenos Aires, Cauca · EL CARMELO
Ground failure · Gold · Expediente ARE-PLU-08072X |
Ground failure | Legal | 1 | 0 |
| May 6, 2016 |
Buenos Aires, Cauca · EL PALMAR
Ground failure · Coal · Expediente DER-151 |
Ground failure | Legal | 1 | 0 |
| Apr 1, 2016 |
Santander de Quilichao, Cauca · SECTOR SAN ANTONIO
Ground failure · Gold |
Ground failure | Illicit | 4 | 1 |
| Feb 6, 2016 |
El Tambo, Cauca
Slope instability · Gold |
Slope instability | Illicit | 3 | 5 |
| Jan 25, 2016 |
Timbiquí, Cauca
Ground failure · Gold |
Ground failure | Illicit | 1 | 0 |
| Nov 7, 2015 |
Guapi, Cauca
Slope instability · Gold |
Slope instability | Illicit | 3 | 0 |
| May 8, 2015 |
Buenos Aires, Cauca · EVENECER
Flooding · Gold · Expediente 19141 |
Flooding | Legal | 1 | 0 |
| Feb 18, 2015 |
Buenos Aires, Cauca
Slope instability · Gold · Expediente GDK-09G |
Slope instability | Legal | 1 | 2 |
| Jan 31, 2015 |
Buenos Aires, Cauca · EL PALMAR
Fire · Coal · Expediente DER-151 |
Fire | Legal | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 18, 2014 |
Buenos Aires, Cauca
Slope instability · Gold · Expediente GDK-09G |
Slope instability | Illicit | 0 | 2 |
| Sep 18, 2014 |
Páez, Cauca
Explosion · Phosphate rock |
Explosion | Illicit | 2 | 0 |
| Jul 25, 2014 |
Buenos Aires, Cauca · EL VIDAL
Contaminated or unbreathable atmosphere · Gold · Expediente 19141 |
Contaminated or unbreathable atmosphere | Legal | 1 | 3 |
| Jul 23, 2014 |
Timbiquí, Cauca · PITAL
Slope instability · Gold |
Slope instability | Illicit | 7 | 1 |
| Apr 30, 2014 |
Santander de Quilichao, Cauca
Slope instability · Gold · Expediente GDK-09E |
Slope instability | Illicit | 12 | 2 |
| Apr 25, 2014 |
Buenos Aires, Cauca · FARES 1
Electrical · Gold · Expediente ARE-PLU-08072X |
Electrical | Legal | 1 | 0 |
| Mar 21, 2014 |
Almaguer, Cauca
Ground failure · Gold |
Ground failure | Illicit | 0 | 1 |
| Jan 23, 2014 |
El Tambo, Cauca · LA CONCEPCIÓN
Contaminated or unbreathable atmosphere · Gold · Expediente 18114 |
Contaminated or unbreathable atmosphere | Legal | 1 | 0 |
| Dec 2, 2013 |
Buenos Aires, Cauca
Ground failure · Gold · Expediente 19141 |
Ground failure | Legal | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 31, 2013 |
Guapi, Cauca
Ground failure · Gold |
Ground failure | Illicit | 3 | 0 |
| Jul 9, 2013 |
La Sierra, Cauca
Ground failure · Gold |
Ground failure | Illicit | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 3, 2013 |
Suárez, Cauca · LA ISABELA
Ground failure · Gold · Expediente ARE-PLU-08051X |
Ground failure | Legal | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 11, 2012 |
Buenos Aires, Cauca · POTOSÍ
Handling explosives and blasting accessories · Gold · Expediente 19140 |
Handling explosives and blasting accessories | Legal | 1 | 1 |
| Sep 15, 2011 |
Páez, Cauca
Slope instability · Phosphate rock · Expediente LF9-11422X |
Slope instability | Illicit | 1 | 1 |
And 11 more emergencies in the register.
Each row is one emergency as ANM registers it. The mine's name is shown without the name of whoever works it, and the holder the register prints is never shown. The expediente is the one ANM prints. "Reported, not attended" marks emergencies ANM registered without its team attending.
Companies with emergencies at their titles
| Company | Emergencies | Killed |
|---|---|---|
| COOPERATIVA MULTIACTIVA UNION DE MINEROS | 15 | 13 |
| COOPERATIVA DE MINEROS DE SUÁREZ CAUCA | 5 | 3 |
| OCEAN COAL S.A.S. | 4 | 3 |
| COOPERATIVA DE MINEROS FONDAS LIMONCITO | 2 | 2 |
| ESPLENDOR CH S.A.S | 1 | 1 |
An emergency is linked to a company only when ANM prints the expediente of a title on which the cadastre lists the company by NIT, and that expediente matches a single cadastre record. The department has 157 titles in the cadastre.