9 trapped miners rescued in widely applauded act, viral video shows

A man is seen in a widely circulated video, using his bare hands to clear away debris on the slope of a collapsed gold mine, so that his trapped colleagues can come out.

Many have been wondering where the incident occured, and at the same time, have been amazed at how the survivors were popping out of a hole in the ground, during the rescue process.

Findings and verification of the viral video show that the incident happened in the South Kivu province in DR Congo, last Saturday.

Official sources say the narrowly averted tragedy, was caused by a heavy downpour.

Several hazards are said to have in the past, been recorded in the area, with a lack of safety procedures and proper equipment blamed for the disasters.

In Cameroon, a similar situation is faced in Batouri in the East region. Scores have died across several mines, some of which are owned by Chinese companies. Over 30 mining sites in the area, were shut in August 2022, following a fatal landslide that left at least 33 persons dead. Reports indicate that between 2013 and 2021, mining sites in that part of the country recorded a total of 157 deaths.

The government has increased measures to prevent similar tragedies. This includes the ban on access of underage children to mining exploration and exploitation sites across the country.