Mozambique: Tanzanian dies in illegal mine collapse

An illegal miner of Tanzanian nationality died on Sunday when a mine shaft collapsed in part of the concession granted to the company Montepuez Ruby Mining (MRM), in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado.

According to a statement from MRM, the Tanzanian has been identified as 31 year old Maulide Maunau, who had been living in Nanhupo A, one of the villages that illegal miners use for temporary shelter.

“At 20.00 on 24 December, a security official identified a group of 25 illegal miners inside the MRM concession”, said the statement. The MRM control centre was immediately informed, and sent a patrol to the area.

But when the patrol arrived, it found that the shaft dug by the illegal miners had collapsed due to the instability of the soil, resulting in the death of one of the miners.

MRM say that the district, provincial and national authorities were informed of the incident. On Monday, although it was Christmas Day and a public holiday, “a team from Sernic (National Criminal Investigation Service) went to the site of the incident, removed the body and delivered it to the family”.

This was the third serious incident this month involving illegal miners. The previous incidents resulted in injuries to eight security guards and three miners.

The MRM statement added that the company “has noted an increase in illegal mining during the rainy season, due to the humidity which makes the soil lighter and easier to dig, as well as the existence of pools of water, which facilitate washing the minerals”.

But MRM warns that increased humidity increases the risk of mudslides and the collapse of shafts. “It is under these conditions that most deaths of illegal miners occur”, it added.

MRM said it is in permanent contact with nearby communities, to make them aware of the dangers of illegal mining.

The national and provincial authorities have been informed in the hope that they will take action “against those who finance, facilitate and encourage the illegal trade in Mozambican rubies, which damages Mozambique and its people due to the loss of life and the loss of fiscal revenue from the country’s mineral resources”.