Home GLOBAL NEWS 36 miners killed in DR Congo mine accident

36 miners killed in DR Congo mine accident

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Gold miners work deep underground at Cooke Shaft near Johannesburg, September 22, 2005. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings

About 36 miners have died in the mineral-rich south-east of the Democratic Republic of Congo after an accident at a copper mine, rescuers have said.

According to the Governor of Lualaba province the accident occurred at an open pit mine.

The area is known to be unstable and the miners were working illegally without proper equipment, BBC’s Gaius Kowene reports.

More bodies could be found as the rescue work continues, he adds.

This kind of unofficial, or clandestine, mining is common in the area and people do it as a means to make a living. Efforts by security services to try and stop it are often fruitless.

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The owner of the mine where the accident happened, Glencore, says that while it protects its own workers it cannot ensure the safety of those who are not supposed to be there.

Credit: BBC

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