Mozambique: Two dead in an illegal gold mine in Nhampassa, Báruè

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Mozambique: Two dead in an illegal gold mine in Nhampassa, Báruè

4:55 CAT | 27 Mar 2025

FILE - For illustration purposes only. [File screen grab: Social Media]

Two men have died in an artisanal gold mine in the administrative post of Nhampassa, Báruè district, Manica province.

One of the victims died after part of a tunnel collapsed, and the other fell into a gold mining pit and suffered serious injuries.

The victim of the tunnel collapse lost his life at the scene of the incident, while the other died on the way to the Catandica District Hospital, after being rescued by colleagues.

The area where they were mining for gold belongs to a company called Sociedade Mineira de Nhampassa (SOMINHA).

The provincial delegate of the General Inspectorate of Mineral Resources and Energy in Manica, Ângelo Pinto, who confirmed the deaths this Tuesday (25-03), explained that the two individuals were mining illegally.

“From the investigations we carried out, we learned that one of the miners, who was the victim of the landslide, is from Nhampassa, in the same district of Báruè, and the funeral ceremonies have already taken place. The other, who fell into the pit, is from Maputo and his family has already been contacted. In the next few days we will know where the funeral ceremonies will be held,” Pinto explained.

The source said that incidents of this kind are frequent in that mining area.

To minimize accidents, the provincial infrastructure service of Manica has carried out a series of training sessions on good mining practices.

“In mining, first and foremost, we must take into account safety. Then, it is the mineral that we intend to obtain. Many times, our miners look at profit and put their own lives at risk,” Pinto said.

“Now that we are talking, a national meeting is taking place on the strategy of illegal mining, commonly known as “garimpo”. The aim is to draw up a concrete plan to prevent further accidents,” he added.

According to Pinto, five illegal miners have already died in the Nhampassa area alone this year; three in February and two in March.

“As a mining sector, we are concerned. We want them to be responsible in their activities, because the loss of a family member leaves orphans and misfortune. Let’s think about life first and then profit. What we want is safety first,” he added.

In Manica province, the districts of Manica, Báruè, Gondola, Sussundenga and Macossa are rich in mineral resources, especially gold. Mining has attracted many national and foreign citizens to these areas, especially young people.

The mining sector puts the number of people involved in illegal gold mining in Manica at more than 10,000.

Source: AIM Moçambique