Cibitoke: three illegal gold miners dead in a landslide

At least three illegal gold miners were killed in a landslide on the afternoon of Friday June 28 on the transverse road 7 of Rusororo hill. It is in the commune of Rugombo in the province of Cibitoke (northwest of Burundi). The provincial governor Carême Bizoza demands his people to join legally recognized cooperatives.

INFO SOS Médias Burundi

The tragedy occurred around 2 p.m., according to local sources. They say the victims had gone several meters deep into a ditch in search of gold. A security source told SOS Médias Burundi that seven other gold miners were rescued.

“Seriously injured, they are being treated in a local health facility,” disclosed local administrators. The latter regret that “these gold miners work outside of any legal framework”.

Without equipment or protective materials, illegal gold miners have the habit of entering sites operated by approved cooperatives at night.

The managers of these cooperatives are asking the security and administrative authorities to adopt very restrictive measures to “discourage illegal operators”.

The governor of Cibitoke knows the situation. Carême Bizoza urges its subjects to join legally recognized cooperatives and associations to “avoid sanctions” and “allow their families to be compensated in case of accidents”.

Cibitoke is one of the regions of Burundi where large gold deposits are found.

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The site where the accident took place (SOS Médias Burundi)