Mining Incidents

← Colombia's mining record

Colombia · Department

Chocó

10
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.
25
deaths
23
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.
122
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.
32
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 Chocó, between 2011 and Mar 31, 2026, ANM's emergency register lists 10 mining emergencies with 25 deaths; 92.0% 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, illicit
2026 1 0 0
2023 1 1 1
2019 1 1 0
2018 1 1 0
2017 1 6 6
2016 2 5 5
2014 1 3 3
2013 1 1 1
2011 1 7 7

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
El Carmen de Atrato 3 2 0
Tadó 2 8 8
Atrato 1 7 7
Bagadó 1 3 3
Medio San Juan 1 1 1
Nóvita 1 3 3
Union Panamericana 1 1 1

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 7 23
Legal 3 2
Exploitation Emergencies Killed
Open pit 7 23
Underground 3 2
Accident type Emergencies Killed
Slope instability 6 22
Fall from height 1 1
Ground failure 1 1
Mechanical 1 0
Other cause 1 1
Mineral Emergencies Killed
Gold 7 23
Copper 3 2
Latest emergencies in ANM's register
Date Place Legal status Killed
Mar 31, 2026 El Carmen de Atrato, Chocó · EL ROBLE
Mechanical · Copper · Expediente 9319
Legal 0
Nov 23, 2023 Union Panamericana, Chocó
Ground failure · Gold · Expediente ARE-TE7-11331
Illicit 1
Aug 4, 2019 El Carmen de Atrato, Chocó · EL ROBLE
Fall from height · Copper · Expediente 9319
Legal 1
Jul 7, 2018 El Carmen, Chocó · Minera S.A
Other cause · Copper · Expediente 9319
Legal 1
Oct 6, 2017 Tadó, Chocó
Slope instability · Gold
Illicit 6
Sep 24, 2016 Tadó, Chocó
Slope instability · Gold
Illicit 2
Aug 22, 2016 Bagadó, Chocó
Slope instability · Gold
Illicit 3
Feb 10, 2014 Nóvita, Chocó
Slope instability · Gold
Illicit 3
Apr 24, 2013 Medio San Juan, Chocó · LOS CABEZAS
Slope instability · Gold
Illicit 1
Sep 14, 2011 Atrato, Chocó
Slope instability · Gold · Expediente LES-11451X
Illicit 7

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
MINERA EL ROBLE S.A. 3 2

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 148 titles in the cadastre.