At least eleven people died and three were injured after a landslide in an artisanal gold mine in the North-Central region of Burkina Faso, the country’s state news agency (AIB) reported today.
The accident occurred on Saturday night in the town of Imyiré, located about thirty kilometers from the city of Kongoussi, in the province of Bam, AIB picked up, citing official sources.
The deceased were between 15 and 30 years old and only a lifeless body could be recovered, the same media indicated.
Artisanal gold mining in this Sahelian country has become a central activity in the rural economy and an important source of income, but its unregulated growth generates environmental and health problems, smuggling, accidents and a loss of income for the State. when trading informally.
Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in the world, ranking 182 out of 189 in the United Nations Human Development Index, but it is estimated that it has a gold reserve of 154.2 metric tons, according to data from the Initiative of Extractive Industry Transparency (EITI).
This West African country is the fifth largest gold exporter on the African continent, as it currently has 15 gold mines operated mainly by multinationals, mostly Canadians.