For more than a month, eight workers at the Perkova mine in Burkina Faso (West Africa) have been trapped hundreds of meters underground after floods blocked their exit.
Rescue teams pump water from the mine to reach a refugee chamber (a place prepared to shelter workers in the event of a landslide) in an attempt to save their lives.
Mine rescue operation in Burkina Faso – Photo: Ann Mimolt / Reuters
But over time, that is likely to change. The detainees included six citizens from Burkina Faso, one from Tanzania and one from Zambia.
The company said most of the workers were able to leave the site safely when the water rose, but the eight missing persons were below the 520 level (520 m above the surface) at the time of the flood.
The food and water in the two security chambers are below this level, but it is not known if any of the men were able to reach them.
“There is always hope, but we also need to be realistic,” said Ricas Grimbeck, CEO of Trevali Mining Corporation, a Canadian mining company.
“These chambers are not designed to be submerged in water. The chambers are designed to withstand toxic conditions such as landslides and smoke,” he explained.
Last Sunday, rescuers were within 3.5 meters of the area where the miners are believed to have taken refuge.
Map of the Perkova mine in Burkina Faso – photo: g1
Rescue workers say work is progressing slowly as 2.5 million liters of water needs to be pumped to a depth of one meter. Your devices are also locked.
The rescue team received New pumps and equipment from South Africa and Ghana Thinking about working fast and sending diving experts.
But it will be difficult for divers to see through the muddy waters of the mine.
The Trevali Mining Corporation announced on April 16 that eight miners had gone missing after the Perkova zinc mine was submerged in unexpectedly heavy rains.
“After the evacuation alert was issued after the floods in the area, the miners disappeared and the rescue operation began,” a miner explained, with the help of firefighters and engineers.
Burkina Faso Prime Minister Albert Odrao visited the mine and said those responsible for the disaster were responsible.
Audrey announced that it would launch an investigation to determine responsibilities and that the company would not allow employees to leave the country in the meantime.
Trevali Mining Corporation executives said the company was caught in a torrential downpour in Burkina Faso last month during the dry season.
“Given the dry season, obviously, we do not expect this much rain,” said Hein Frey, vice president of operations at Trevali. “Not only us, but the communities around us have been affected by the completely unexpected rain.”
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