Tanzania mine deaths go up
Mine owners rule out possibility of finding any more survivors in East African nation.
“There are 66 miners missing and still trapped underground in the pits,” said state-run Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC) radio, quoting the owners.
“There is no hope of finding anybody alive because it is their third day underground,” the radio said.
Mike Temi, one of the owners, confirmed that 66 people were missing as of Monday morning.
“My husband is still down there. There are also two brothers-in-law of mine. All I want is to find their bodies” Rosa Manka, wife of one of the miners |
Jakaya Kikwete, the Tanzanian president, due to travel to the disaster area, said he was “shocked” to hear of the accident and the growing death toll.
Officials gave diverging counts of the number of miners who escaped or were rescued from the pits, where thousands dig to find the precious purple-blue mineral named after the country.
State radio, quoting the mine owners, said 93 people close to the surface escaped the flooding. Other officials said 35 escaped.
Mizengo Pinda, the prime minister, said $0.4m had been allocated and 80 additional rescuers hired to bolster the operation.
Relatives of those missing gathered at the mine but held out little hope of anyone being brought out alive.
“My husband is still down there. There are also two brothers-in-law of mine. All I want is to find their bodies,” said Rosa Manka, a young woman, sobbing as two aunts supported her.
In June 2002, at least 39 tanzanite miners died after inhaling carbon monoxide produced from a dynamite explosion, one of the many fatal accidents linked to mining in Tanzania.
Rescue hampered
Tanzanite One, a South African company which is operating a neighbouring pit, offered equipment to pump out flood water and dig a path towards the miners.