A tragic accident cost the life of a gold miner at an artisanal gold mining site in the district of Sétiya, under the sub-prefecture of Kintinian, on the morning of Tuesday, October 14, 2025.

The victim, identified as Sira Diallo, a mother in her fifties from Kissidougou, died after being strangled by her own gold washing machine.

The fatal scarf

The tragedy occurred while Sira Diallo was operating her washing machine. A witness, Kabinet Sylla, a worker present at the scene, described the scene: "Sira was working quietly on her laundry when she wanted to adjust the water tank. Her scarf got caught on a moving part. Within seconds, the machine violently pulled her by the neck..."

Despite the swift intervention of her colleagues, the strangulation proved fatal, and the woman died at the scene. Married and mother of six, Sira Diallo leaves behind a grieving family. Following the local authorities' assessment, her body was released to her family. An investigation has been opened to determine the exact circumstances of the accident.

Security in question

This new accident dramatically highlights the precarious and dangerous conditions in which gold miners, particularly women, work in the artisanal mining areas of Guinea.

Gold panning sites are often characterized by almost non-existent security and the use of rudimentary equipment.

Many fatal accidents are recorded each year due to the lack of minimum safety measures.

Faced with the recurrence of these tragedies, workers' rights organizations are calling on the authorities to strengthen controls and impose strict safety standards in the sector to prevent further tragedies.