Disaster relief agencies and the military said in a joint statement that they were working to recover the bodies of the workers from a gold mine in the town of El Callao in Bolivar state.

The workers were underground when heavy rains fell on the region which borders both Guyana and Brazil, flooding the mine.

Videos posted on social media showed workers pulling a body out of the muddy waters.

El Callao's mayor, Jesus Coromoto Lugo, sent his condolences to the victims' families in a social media post.

On Monday, he shared images of flooded roads in the remote region.

Gold mining is the economic mainstay of El Callao.

It was not clear whether the mine was operating legally or illegally.

Deadly accidents are common at illegal gold mines across South America.