Bolivia wildcat mining clash sees explosions as six reported dead

LA PAZ (Reuters) -A violent clash between two groups of Bolivian miners disputing the exploitation of small gold deposits left six people dead and some others missing, a mining cooperative representative said on Thursday.

The incident started early in the morning in the municipality of Sorata, 150 km north from the capital, La Paz, according to a preliminary Bolivian Police report.

The clash also caused serious damages as police and firefighters were deployed to the area of the incident.

"They have blown up machinery with dynamite, even a diesel tank. So far six people are reported dead and others are missing", said Jhonny Silva, representative of the Hijos de Ingenio Mining Cooperative.

The conflict involved the Senor de Mayo mining cooperative and the Hijos de Ingenio cooperative, the departmental police commander Gunther Agudo told the press, adding that the clash "caused an explosion of great magnitude."

In Bolivia, the mining sector is operated by three divisions: state-owned, private and cooperative. The latter has come under criticism due to illegal exploitation that harms the environment and generates constant conflicts with other miners and rural communities.

(Reporting by Daniel Ramos; Writing by Natalia Siniawski; Editing by Aida Pelaez-Fernandez)

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