At least four dead in mine collapse in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique

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At least four dead in mine collapse in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique

3:10 CAT | 25 Aug 2016

MMO

At least four people died on Sunday, when an illegal gold mine collapsed in Muaja locality, in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado, according to a report in Wednesday’s issue of the independent daily “O Pais”.

By Tuesday, only two bodies had been recovered. At least two other miners were buried in the collapsed remnants of the mine, and rescue teams did not have the necessary equipment to dig he bodies out.

There could be more bodies, since nobody is quite sure how many people were working in the mine at the time of the accident.

One of the survivors, Capitao Alberto, told reporters, “our companions were inside extracting he gold, when the land collapsed. We don’t know how many of them there were, but the number could reach 25.

“O Pais” estimates that the illegal mine was 30 metres long and ten metres deep. The miners clambered into this hole without any safety gear or protective clothing. Even after the Sunday collapse, miners continued to work at the mine, desperately trying to extract gold, despite all the risks involved.

The police seized motor-bikes and other items of equipment from the illegal miners at Muaja, in an attempt, apparently unsuccessful, to dissuade them from continuing to mine.

Source: AIM