Citing local officials, Afghan media reports say at least 30 Afghans were killed on Sunday when the tunnel they were digging in to mine gold in Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province collapsed.
Officials reportedly said the victims were villagers who were mining for gold illegally, rather than in a government project.
The incident took place at around 11:00 am local time in Kohistan district when the workers were busy in mining, TOLONews said Monday morning, citing Nek Mohammad Nazari, a spokesman for Badakhshan governor.
“Poor villagers during winters try to compensate their earnings by pursuing illegal mining. They dig tunnels to enter the mines,” Nek Mohammad Nazari said.
Nazari reportedly said 15 workers were wounded in the incident. He said the wounded were in critical condition, according to TOLONews.
Meanwhile, The Washington Post, citing Mohammad Zekriya, a lawmaker from the province, said the cause of the accident, which occurred in heavy snowfall, was a landslide.
The workers were in a riverbed sifting for gold when rocks and debris tumbled down the mountainside. The landslide also injured at least 15 people.
“The exploitation of the mine was done illegally” by locals paid by a mining company, Zekriya said.
Citing a police spokesman for Badakhshan province, Sanaullah Rohani, Reuters said about 50 illegal miners were present in the mine when the incident occurred and two rescue teams were deployed to help the injured.
Last year the Afghan government reportedly signed two contracts for the exploration of copper and gold deposits in northern provinces, to try to prevent illegal mining and move away from its dependence on foreign aid by tapping its natural resources.
Landslides are common in Afghanistan’s rugged, mountainous north and are typically caused by melting snow or heavy rain. Badakhshan is among the poorest and least-developed areas of Afghanistan.
