CONAKRY, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- At least six people were killed on Wednesday when a gold mine collapsed in Guinea's prefecture of Siguiri, located about 800 km northeast of the capital Conakry, local media reported.

The incident occurred in the locality of Doko, an artisanal gold-mining area known for its high concentration of people working on both semi-industrial sites and artisanal mines.

Local media reported that the victims were inside a pit when a sudden ground collapse buried them.

Search and rescue operations were carried out at the site to recover and extract the bodies of the victims from the muddy debris. ■