In the early hours of October 12, 2025, the town of El Callao in Venezuela’s southern Bolívar state was hit by tragedy. After roughly four hours of torrential rain, disaster struck the Cuatro Esquinas de Caratal gold mine, a site that sits at the center of the local economy and the lives of its 30,000 residents. As water flooded the mine’s shafts, at least 14 miners lost their lives, marking yet another grim chapter in the ongoing saga of Venezuela’s hazardous mining industry.
According to local officials cited by AnewZ, the relentless downpour caused severe flooding inside the mine, trapping workers in wells that plunged 30 to 40 meters below ground. The consequences were swift and devastating: eleven miners were killed deep underground, unable to escape the rising water, while three others died near the water pumps that had been set up in a desperate attempt to drain the mine’s shafts.
The National Risk Management System confirmed the accident, and rescue teams immediately mobilized. The operation, which is still ongoing as of Wednesday, involves a coordinated effort between security forces, civil protection units, and the Venezuelan army. Their first task: to pump out enough water from the flooded shafts to allow for the retrieval of the remaining bodies. The process, as described by the Bolívar state rescue agency on social media, began with “pumping out all shafts in the area to lower the water level, then assessing rescue efforts for those still trapped in the gold mine.”
As the search continues, uncertainty lingers over the final death toll. Firefighters on the scene told media outlets that the current estimate of 14 fatalities is based largely on testimonies from other miners present during the collapse. The exact number of victims has yet to be officially confirmed, a painful reality for families awaiting news about their loved ones.
The mine itself is located about 850 kilometers from the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, in a region known for its mineral wealth. El Callao, as both AnewZ and Vijesti report, is a city whose lifeblood is gold mining. The majority of its 30,000 residents are engaged in the industry, either directly or indirectly, and the local economy is almost entirely dependent on the extraction and trade of precious metals.
But the riches below ground come at a steep cost. Environmental groups and local activists have repeatedly sounded the alarm about the dangerous conditions in El Callao’s informal mines. These warnings, echoed in both AnewZ and Vijesti’s coverage, highlight a pattern of neglect and risk that has become all too common in Venezuela’s mining sector. The mines, many of them poorly regulated and lacking basic safety measures, are prone to accidents—especially when nature intervenes.
The events of October 12 are tragically emblematic of these systemic issues. Torrential rain is not uncommon in Bolívar state, but the vulnerability of the mines to flooding and collapse is exacerbated by the absence of effective oversight and infrastructure. Mining accidents are, as Vijesti notes, “common in Venezuela due to unsafe working conditions in a poorly regulated industry.” The country is rich in copper, diamonds, and other precious metals, yet the pursuit of these resources often puts workers’ lives at risk.
For the families of the victims, the wait for answers is agonizing. Rescue and recovery operations are complicated by the depth of the shafts—some as deep as 40 meters—and the sheer volume of water that must be removed before teams can safely enter. The presence of the army and multiple rescue agencies underscores the seriousness of the situation, but progress is slow and fraught with danger.
Amid the chaos, community leaders and environmental advocates are once again calling for change. They argue that the tragedy at Cuatro Esquinas de Caratal is not an isolated incident but rather a symptom of broader failings within Venezuela’s mining industry. Without meaningful reform, they warn, similar disasters are likely to occur in the future.
“We have warned for years about the unsafe conditions in these mines,” said one local activist, speaking to AnewZ. “The workers know the risks, but for many, there is no alternative. Gold mining is the only way to support their families.”
The economic pressures facing El Callao are immense. With few other sources of employment, residents are often forced to accept dangerous jobs in the mines, despite the risks. The gold extracted from these shafts funds not only local livelihoods but also, in many cases, the broader Venezuelan economy. It’s a stark reminder of the trade-offs faced by communities caught between poverty and peril.
Authorities have promised a full investigation into the causes of the collapse, but expectations are tempered by history. Previous accidents have rarely led to significant improvements in safety standards or regulatory oversight. Instead, the cycle of risk and tragedy continues, leaving workers and their families exposed to the whims of both nature and neglect.
As the days pass and rescue efforts continue, the people of El Callao are left to mourn their dead and reckon with the dangers that define their daily lives. The collapse of the Cuatro Esquinas de Caratal mine is a stark illustration of the human cost of Venezuela’s mining boom—a cost measured not only in lost lives but also in shattered families and communities.
For now, the focus remains on the recovery operation. Teams are working around the clock to pump out the remaining water, hoping to retrieve the bodies of those still trapped below. The process is painstaking and dangerous, but for the families waiting above ground, every hour counts.
In the aftermath, calls for reform are growing louder. Environmental groups are urging the government to strengthen regulations, improve oversight, and invest in safer mining practices. They argue that only by addressing the root causes of such disasters can future tragedies be prevented.
Yet, for many in El Callao, change feels distant. The economic realities of life in southern Bolívar state leave few options for those seeking a better future. Until meaningful reforms are enacted, the risks will remain—and so too will the threat of further loss.
The collapse at Cuatro Esquinas de Caratal stands as a somber reminder of the dangers faced by Venezuela’s miners, and the urgent need for action to protect those who risk their lives in pursuit of the country’s mineral wealth.