At least 22 people were killed when a small illegal gold mine collapsed in northern Tanzania after heavy rains, officials said.
“The accident happened last night in the Simiju region after a group of people aged 24 to 38 started extracting ore in an area where mining has been banned due to constant rains,” said local official Simon Simalenga.
“We were initially told that up to 20 people were buried underground, but unfortunately it turned out that 22 people died,” he said, adding that search and rescue operations would continue.
Simalenga said the group of people found an area rich in minerals three weeks ago and started mining activities before the government approved the works.
The government has been trying to improve safety measures for small-scale mines for years, but unsafe and unregulated mining is common in Tanzania.
Tanzania is the fourth largest gold producer in Africa after South Africa, Ghana and Mali, Beta news agency writes.
