Hope is fading that the eight workers, including one Tanzanian, trapped in a flooded mine in Burkina Faso will be rescued alive, a diplomat said.
The eight – one Tanzanian, one Zambians and six locals – have been trapped in the Perkoa zinc mine for two weeks.
On Tuesday, Dr. Benson Bana, Tanzania’s High Commissioner for Nigeria and the entire West African Economic Community (Ecowas), said the rescue mission had ended and was ongoing.
He said rainwater had started to fill the mine when workers were 500 meters below the Earth.
“The embassy is still following the rescue mission very closely. The Prime Minister of Burkina Faso recently visited the site and also expressed concerns about the mine’s safety standard even before the disaster happened,” said Dr. Bana.
Sources said the trapped people may be running out of oxygen and water, and also had difficulty getting food.
The accident, which happened on April 16, April 2022 was accelerated by the heavy rains that caused flooding at the mine.
< p>The mine is owned by Canada-based Trevali Mining Corp. Sources say officials from the company have been barred from leaving the West African country while the investigation into the incident is conducted.
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