Guinea landslide kills three illegal miners
Guinea's soils are rich in gold, diamonds and bauxite, but it remains one of the world's poorest countries, driving so-called "artisanal" miners to search for minerals alone or in small groups with little safety equipment.
Alfamadi Kamara, who oversees security of the mines in the Boure Boukaria area near the city of Siguiri, told AFP they discovered the dead after they entered the premises unnoticed.
"We were taken by surprise by these illegal gold prospectors," he said by phone. "They took advantage of the moment we were having breakfast to get inside, and here are the consequences."
The bodies of the three victims, all in their 30s and 40s, were handed over to their families, according to a doctor at a hospital in nearby Kintinian.
The toll could yet rise, the doctor said on condition of anonymity, with three more people badly injured and others still missing.
Illegal miners are regularly expelled from extraction sites owned by multinational firms in the Siguiri area, who risk their lives to unearth enough precious metal or minerals to sell on to dealers.
Accidents similar to Thursday's have killed dozens of people in the past five years in the area.
Source: I-Net Bridge
For more than two decades, I-Net Bridge has been one of South Africa’s preferred electronic providers of innovative solutions, data of the highest calibre, reliable platforms and excellent supporting systems. Our products include workstations, web applications and data feeds packaged with in-depth news and powerful analytical tools empowering clients to make meaningful decisions.
We pride ourselves on our wide variety of in-house skills, encompassing multiple platforms and applications. These skills enable us to not only function as a first class facility, but also design, implement and support all our client needs at a level that confirms I-Net Bridge a leader in its field.
Go to: http://www.inet.co.za
