Mabayi in shock : illegal gold mining kills again, five injured and six dead

SOS Médias Burundi

Cibitoke, January 7, 2026 – A landslide on Tuesday, January 6, on Kabere hill, in the Mabayi zone of ​​Mugina district, Bujumbura province, claimed the lives of six gold miners and seriously injured five others. This tragedy has reignited concerns about illegal gold mining and the glaring lack of safety at artisanal mining sites.

Tragedy at an illegal gold mining site

According to witnesses, the accident occurred while miners were digging in a deep tunnel in search of gold. After several hours of work, a landslide buried a group of gold panners.

Alerted by residents, local authorities and police went to the scene. Initial attempts by locals to free the victims with their bare hands proved unsuccessful. The use of heavy machinery, usually employed for road construction, was required.

Approximately an hour later, eleven people were pulled from the tunnel : six dead and five seriously injured, who were rushed to Mabayi Hospital. The search continued throughout the night, as some residents feared that others might remain trapped under the rubble.

An illegal and dangerous activity

Police report that the site was occupied by a large number of people, complicating rescue operations. No mining cooperative was authorized to operate in this area; extraction was carried out clandestinely.

“We have consistently discouraged people from engaging in illegal gold mining, but this tragedy once again demonstrates the consequences of these illegal activities,” said a member of a nearby mining cooperative.

The district administrator of Mugina, Anicet Saidi, announced the upcoming launch of a large-scale awareness and enforcement campaign against all unauthorized mining operations. Local stakeholders are also calling on the State to conduct an investigation to identify and punish those responsible.

This tragedy is not an isolated incident : approximately eight months ago, more than twenty gold miners lost their lives in similar circumstances in Rutabo, on Rutorero hill, in the same region.