Mozambique: Illegal miner dies when shaft collapses – AIM

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Mozambique: Illegal miner dies when shaft collapses – AIM

7:55 CAT | 03 Jun 2021

FILE - Montepuez Ruby Mining. [File photo: Gemfields]

The Montepuez Ruby Mining (MRM) company, in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado, announced on Wednesday that another illegal miner has died in the MRM concession area, in the locality of Namanhumbir.

As has happened repeatedly during illegal invasions of the MRM area, the miner died when an artisanal mine shaft collapsed on top of him. He was a 28 year old man, who had come from the neighbouring province of Nampula.

According to an MRM press release, the incident happened on Saturday. MRM was informed by a group of illegal miners that one of their number had died in a mine collapse. MRM says it immediately informed the police, who removed the body.

The release said the growing number of incidents and deaths, involving illegal miners on the MRM concession, is a matter of great concern for the company and for the local communities, whose villages are affected by the inflow of illegal miners, not only from the neighbouring provinces, but also from other countries.

“The unsafe practices of the illegal miners, normally supervised or coerced by syndicates smuggling precious stones, who are in turn financed by foreign traders operating in the region, continue to result in the unnecessary loss of human lives”, said MRM.

The company added that it has tried to make the public aware of the dangers of artisanal mining, and had carried out awareness campaigns in the nearby communities, where many of the illegal miners find temporary shelter.

Since the start of this year, MRM has been informed that eight people, mostly young men, have died inside the MRM concession area, when illegally dug shafts have collapsed.

“These incidents have been brought to the knowledge of the provincial and national authorities”, the release said, “in the hope that more pro-active measures would be taken against those who are financing, facilitating and encouraging the illegal trade in rubies”.

The smuggling of precious stones “damages Mozambique and its people through the loss of lives, and through depriving the country of much needed fiscal revenue from mineral resources”, added MRM.

Source: AIM