An unlicensed gold mine collapse in eastern Guinea this week killed at least 11 people, officials told AFP on Friday. According to the Red Cross, one man and ten women died in the collapse that occurred last Wednesday near the city of Koundianakoro. Amara Diallo, a local Red Cross representative, said the women were working in the mine when the collapse happened, and their bodies were recovered hours later. He added that a young man also died from his injuries on Thursday. A local official explained that the victims went to the site "to wash and process mining waste," a common activity in Guinea's gold mining areas. While the Red Cross stated that all victims were Guinean, the mayor of Koundianakoro, Bandjou Hawa Keita, said all the women were from Burkina Faso. Guinea, with a population of about 15 million, is rich in minerals. However, about 7.7 million people live in poverty, according to data from the World Food Programme.