Gold Town Turns to Dust as Metal Decline Shutters Mines

``The scene, resembling something from an apocalypse film out of Hollywood, is an extreme example of the impact gold's 25 percent drop this year may have on towns around the world that are dependent on the precious metal. Mining companies have announced plans to shutter mines or reduce operations from Nevada and Peru to Papua New Guinea in the Pacific Ocean, as gold heads toward its first annual loss in 13 years... The end of gold's 12-year bull run also compounded the impact of rising operating costs as mines aged and companies had to dig deeper to find better grades of ore. After more than a century as the world's biggest gold producer, South Africa has slumped to sixth position.''