Ethiopia: rescue mission to free 20 miners stuck in cave
More than 20 artisanal miners remain stuck in a cave in a remote village in northern Ethiopia after it collapsed, reports Africa News and various agencies.
According to reports, on February 8th the narrow cave collapsed while the miners were searching for opal gemstones, risking their lives to excavate the mineral.
Since then, hundreds of residents in the Delanta district of the mineral-rich South Wollo Zone in Ethiopia’s Amhara regional state, have been desperately trying to free the artisanal miners.
It is unclear the exact number of miners trapped though it is estimated more than 20 individuals. With the challenging terrain and the village landscape making it difficult to get support from machines, rescue efforts have so far been unsuccessful. Locals have resorted to digging with their hands.
Tesfaye Agazh, a resident from the district, commented on the difficulty of the rescue. “We, residents, have been working on shifts, day and night, for the past few days to remove the rocks but it is very hard” he told the BBC.
As the trapped miners face the clock, authorities and residents alike remain hopeful of finding survivors. “We are hoping we will get survivors, but we know it is a mere chance” Agaza stated, “we are not stopping until we find them alive or dead”.
Remaining positive, the officials said that in a similar incident, a miner was found alive after he was buried in a cave for seven days.
Africa News/Agencies.
