“Unfortunately, after 39 days of intense search, the lifeless bodies of four miners have been found”the Burkinabe government said in a statement on Wednesday. “Search operations are continuing in order to find the four other minors”said government spokesman Lionel Bilgowithout giving the nationality of the deceased minors.
The eight miners – six Burkinabés, a Zambian and a Tanzanian – found themselves trapped 700 meters underground in a zinc mine in Burkina Faso on Saturday 16 April. Torrential rains had flooded the underground galleries of the Perkoa mine, about 100 km west of Ouagadougou, the country’s capital.
Six families carried “complaint against X”
Since their disappearance, no contact has been established with them. The rescuers still hoped that they had been able to take shelter in a “refuge room” located 580 meters deep, where survival kits with water, food and medicine are usually stored. Rescuers had discovered this empty room on Tuesday May 17, making hopes of finding the miners alive almost nil. Rescuers pumped out 165 million liters of water in total.
These disappearances caused a great stir in Burkina Faso. A wave of solidarity has been set up to help their loved ones. Lhe families of six miners carried “complaint against X” for “attempted manslaughter”, “endangering the lives of others” and “no assistance to the person in danger”. The government announced on Sunday May 1 the opening of an investigation into “identify all responsibilities”and took “precautionary measures” to prevent those responsible for the mine from leaving Burkinabe territory.
