30 miners trapped in Burkina Faso mine

At least 30 people have been trapped for five days in a gold mine in Djibo, northern Burkina Faso since a cave-in on Thursday, eyewitnesses have told Xinhua.

They said two bodies had so far been removed from the site where an estimated 40 miners were working before the collapse.


There has been a growing fear in recent years over the safety of miners involved in unauthorized mining in Burkina Faso, a country which has seen a boom in gold mining.

According to official statistics, at least 1.2 million people are involved in gold washing activities and cave-in accidents have become frequent.

In late January, a collapse of a gold mine in Burkina Faso’s northeast region of Noogo left nine people dead and 10 others injured.

Since 2009, gold has replaced cotton, to be the first source of foreign currency for Burkina Faso.

Revenue from gold represents 12 percent of Burkina Faso’s Gross Domestic Product, equivalent to about 295 million euros, according to the country’s 2013 budget.