At Least 31 Killed In Burkina Faso Mining Accident
OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) — National radio says at least 31 people have been killed in a mudslide at an unofficial gold mine in Burkina Faso.
There are thousands of unofficial, or bush mines, in West Africa. Desperately poor villagers eke out a living, risking their lives to descend deep chutes and then use mercury to force the gold out of the dirt. The mines are especially treacherous during the monsoon season.
According to radio reports, the landslide was brought on by heavy rains in a mining village in southwest Burkina Faso. Local authorities are digging for survivors.
