OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso
A strong explosion near a gold
mining site in southwestern Burkina Faso killed 59 people and injured more than
100 others Monday, the national broadcaster and witnesses reported.File picture
The provisional toll was
provided by regional authorities following the blast in the village of
Gbomblora, RTB reported. The explosion was believed to have been caused by
chemicals used to treat gold that were stocked at the site.
“I saw bodies everywhere. It
was horrible,” Sansan Kambou, a forest ranger who was at the site during the
explosion, told The Associated Press by phone.
The first blast happened
around 2 p.m., with more explosions following as people ran for their lives, he
said.
Burkina Faso is the
fastest-growing gold producer in Africa and currently the fifth largest on the
continent, with gold being the country’s most important export. The industry
employs about 1.5 million people and was worth about $2 billion in 2019.
Small gold mines like
Gbomblora have grown in recent years, with some 800 across the country. Much of
the gold is being smuggled into neighboring Togo, Benin, Niger and Ghana,
according to the South Africa-based Institute for Security Studies.
The small-scale mines are also
reportedly used by jihadis linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State, which have
staged attacks in the country since 2016. The groups reportedly raise funds by
taxing miners, and also use the mine sites for recruiting fighters and seeking
refuge.
Mining experts say the
small-scale mines have fewer regulations than industrial ones and thus can be
more dangerous.
“The limited regulation of the
artisanal and small-scale mining sector contributes to increased risks that can
be very dangerous, including the use of explosives which are often smuggled
into the country and used illegally,” said Marcena Hunter, senior analyst at
Global Initiative, a Swiss-based think tank.
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