Efforts to find the eight miners who went missing nearly a month ago at a British Columbia mine in Burkina Faso are progressing. However, no communication could be established with them and the authorities did not know if they survived.
Vancouver -based Trevali Mining says more than 32 million liters of water have been pumped from its zinc mine in Perkoa, about 120 km from Ouagadougou, the capital.
Eight miners were trapped more than 500 meters underground on April 16, after heavy rains caused flooding. Sixteen other workers were able to escape.
Authorities in Burkina Faso said there was a chance the detained men could have landed in a shelter room containing food and provisions.
Families, for their part, still have hope. Sylvia Bakoala, their spokesperson, acknowledged the help received from the community in an update from the Government of Burkina Faso posted on its YouTube channel.
” May God protect us. May he bring our wives, children and children to life. “
For its part, the Burkina Faso government thanks the international community and the surrounding mining companies for their donations of time and material.
This mobilization transcends our borders, welcomes the Minister of Mines and Quarries, Jean Alphonse Some. This allows us to maintain this hope.
Criticized by the Vancouver company
Trevali Mining, headquartered in Vancouver, has faced severe criticism for its disaster response and for issues related to site safety.
Earlier this month, members of his management team were banned from leaving Burkina Faso pending an investigation into the causes of the incident.
The mining company said it was also investigating and would comply with government requests.
We understand the government’s concerns, making sure relevant staff are present and available to meet with investigators.said Trevali Mining’s director of investor relations, Jason Mercier.
He said search efforts continue to be led by the most experienced local team, working at full capacity, around the clock.
We are working in solidarity at all levels of government and soon using all available resources in the country, as well as importing additional machinery and equipment to help locate our missing colleagues.assured the president and general manager of Trevali Mining, Ricus Grimbeek, in a statement.
According to the Burkina Faso company and government, heavy machinery and pumping equipment will have to be imported from other African countries such as Ghana and South Africa.
Local authorities have also provided the European Union with a list of resources they need to speed up search operations, according to Burkina Faso’s government information service.
Global Affairs Canada is aware of the incident at a mining site in Burkina Faso. We are closely monitoring the situation and we are liaising with local authorities.spokesman James Emmanuel Wanki said in an emailed statement.
With information from Georgie Smyth
Source: Radio-Canada
