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Bodies of 27 Peruvian mine fire victims taken to morgue

The bodies of 27 victims in Peru's worst mining disaster in decades have been taken to the local morgue ahead of burial.

On Saturday, a fire broke out in a gold mine in the southern region of Arequipa, filling the mine with black smoke. The local government has blamed an electrical short-circuit for the blaze.

Officials said the miners were working about 100 metres below the surface when the fire started.

Mining is one of the engines of the Peruvian economy, the largest gold and copper producer in Latin America, accounting for more than eight per cent of GDP.

Last year, 39 people died in mining-related incidents, according to the mining and energy ministry.