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Tanzania landslide kills 22 miners; Colombia landslide toll rises to 36
Tanzania landslide kills 22 miners; Colombia landslide toll rises to 36
by AFP Staff Writers
Dar Es Salaam (AFP) Jan 14, 2024

Twenty-two people have lost their lives following a landslide at a mine in northern Tanzania, officials said on Sunday.

The accident occurred in Simuyu region's Bariadi district, more than 500 kilometres (300 miles) north of the capital, Dodoma, burying the miners under heavy debris.

"As we close the rescue operations, the death toll remains 22, all men," Faustine Mtitu, acting commander for the region's fire and rescue force, told reporters on Sunday.

"We are convinced that there are no more bodies trapped in the rubble," he said, adding that safety procedures had not been followed at the mine.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan expressed her "great sadness" over the accident, paying tribute to the victims on Sunday.

"These fellow Tanzanians were small miners in the area, trying to earn a living for themselves, their families and contributing to the development of our nation," she said in a post on X.

It was unclear when the landslide occurred and officials did not provide details on the cause of the accident.

Tanzania is the fourth-largest African producer of gold, one of the East African nation's main sources of foreign currency.

Mining accidents are not uncommon, with miners often lacking the tools and materials considered necessary to operate safely.

- Heavy rainfall -

In January 2017, 15 miners were saved after being stuck underground for at least two days when their makeshift gold mine collapsed.

In November 2015, five miners were found alive after spending 41 days 100 metres underground, eating cockroaches and frogs to survive.

They were trapped when a shaft they were working on collapsed near the town of Shinyanga in the northwest.

In July 1997, more than 100 miners were buried alive when the roof of a gold mine collapsed in the northwestern Kagera region.

Authorities suspected the collapse may have been caused by congestion after scores of miners entered the pit.

Tanzania and its East African neighbours Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia have all been facing torrential rains linked to the El Nino weather pattern.

Seventy-six people were killed in landslides last month in the hillside town of Katesh in northern Tanzania.

The downpours last month also displaced 5,600 people and destroyed infrastructure in many parts of the country, forcing Hassan to cut short her participation in the COP28 climate talks in Dubai to deal with the disaster.

During a visit to Katesh last month, Hassan said the landslides were "a wake-up call for the government to make necessary preparedness to detect the signs and alert people in advance so that we avoid serious effect like this".

Colombia landslide death toll rises to 36
Carmen De Atrato, Colombia (AFP) Jan 15, 2024 - The death toll from recent landslides in northwestern Colombia rose to 36, according to an official tally Sunday, as rescuers continued to look for at least seven people.

Earlier, officials had put the toll from Friday's landslides, which hit a road linking the cities of Medellin and Quibdo, at 23 dead.

"To all the families of the victims, my heartfelt condolences," said President Gustavo Petro.

Pope Francis also offered prayers for the victims from the Vatican.

Rescuers, using sniffer dogs and bulldozers, have been racing against the clock to find survivors.

Videos shared on social media showed part of a mountain breaking loose and crashing down onto a line of cars, as screams broke out.

The landslides in Colombia's Choco department, which lies on the Pacific Ocean, followed more than 24 hours of intense rain.

The Ombudsman's Office warned of "high risk of new landslides."

"We call for all necessary actions to be taken in order to safeguard the lives of people who are at risk in the area," the office said in a bulletin.

A landslide in the same part of Colombia in December 2022 killed at least 27 people, trapping people in a bus and other vehicles.

While much of Colombia is suffering through drought, meteorologists have warned of the risk of heavy rains in several departments bordering the Pacific.

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El Carmen De Atrato, Colombia (AFP) Jan 13, 2024
Rescuers were working against the clock Saturday to find survivors of landslides that claimed at least 33 lives, mostly children, in northwestern Colombia, the country's vice president said Saturday. "I deeply regret the death of 33 people in this tragedy, mostly children, according to preliminary reports," Vice President Francia Marquez wrote on social media site X. Search teams - including firefighters, soldiers and local residents - slogged through deep mud and debris in hopes of finding su ... read more

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