Africa-Press – Mozambique. At least 20 people have died in the collapse of illegal, artisanal mines in Manica province, central Mozambique, since January, local authorities announced on Tuesday.
Many of the accidents that occur during illegal mining in Manica are not reported by the communities for fear of the repercussions, so it is difficult to determine the exact number of deaths resulting from these practices, said Director of Provincial Infrastructure Services, Silva Manuel, on Tuesday.
“We are trying to count what there are in terms of deaths in illegal mining. […] The number [of deaths] could reach 20 and could even be a little more because we do not have a count of other places, where there are problems of this nature but which are not reported,” he explained.
According to the Manuel, Manica, Gondola, and Báruè districts recorded the most fatalities in the province.
Manica is rich in minerals, mainly gold, especially in the districts of Macossa, Manica, Barué, Sussundenga, and Gondola.
Silva Manuel recommends that artisanal miners organize themselves into associations to “ensure safer and more sustainable exploitation” of the resources and avoid practices that put lives at risk.
“We are working to raise awareness, reporting these deaths, so that people feel that this work is harming families,” he said.
The last reported incident involving illegal mining in Manica occurred on March 24, when two people died in a tourmaline mine in Báruè, a district identified by the provincial authorities as one of the most affected by these incidents.
In February, at least three people died and two suffered minor injuries in a landslide at the same mine.
For More News And Analysis About Mozambique Follow Africa-Press
