Eleven illegal miners have died while several others have been injured after a shaft collapsed at a ruby mine in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province, an official announced on Thursday.
Obete Matine, inspector general for minerals resources told journalists in the capital Maputo that the accident occurred in Cabo Delgado’s Montepuez district on Wednesday afternoon.
According to Matine, the victims were part of gangs involved in illegal mining and included both locals and foreign nationals.
“That region attracts locals and foreigners, mostly young men and women from poor communities who illegally mine precious stones,” Matine said.
He attributed the mine collapse to weeks of torrential rains in the region.
CM/jn/APA