Paramaribo (Suriname) : At least 10 people died after an illegal gold mine collapsed Monday in the South American country of Suriname, the local authorities said. The Police, military officials and rescue crews were dispatched to the mine, which is located in the country's rural southern region. The miners are believed to have built their own tunnels to search for gold, a common occurrence in Suriname, the official sources said.
It wasn't immediately clear what caused the collapse. "There's still a lot of uncertainty," said President Chan Santokhi. "It's important that we now get the situation under control." Santokhi was attending a government budget meeting when the incident occurred, forcing him to interrupt those speaking saying, "Something terrible is going on."
Suriname is known for its gold mines, with US and Canadian companies heavily invested in such operations. Informal gold mining also has increased in recent years. The rescue efforts are underway. The authorities are busy looking for more workers likely to be trapped under the debris. Immediate focus is placed on the rescue operations. The illegal mining activities have posed a big challenge to the administration. Despite crackdowns on such activities, the illegal mining operators continue to indulge in excavations. The latest incident became an eye-opener to how rampant gold mining activity is going on in the South American country.
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