Families mourn miners killed in Venezuela’s worst mining accident in years

People mourn the death of miner Santiago Mora (Ariana Cubillos/AP)

Families and friends have begun burying loved ones who were among at least 16 people killed in the collapse of an illegally operated gold mine in a remote area of central Venezuela.

The mournful tributes come as demands mounted for government help with the injured and recovered bodies from Tuesday’s accident — one of the worst in a poorly regulated mining industry that has soared as the Opec nation’s oil production dwindled.