In Ngoengoe, Eastern Cameroon, in the night of last December 29-30, nine artisanal miners, who were looking for gold in a mine unrestored by the Chinese mining company Lu & Lang, died in a landslide, official sources indicated.

The hapless miners were hoping to find some gold nuggets when the landslide occured. This is the nineth drama recorded in the region because of the non-respect of regulation in force by mining companies.

The regulation constraints mine operators to close holes and trenches dug, once the exploitation is completed on the site.

According to local administrative sources, many companies do not take this measure and this at the source of many deaths by drowning or landslides of artisanal miners from surrounding villages.

Brice R. Mbodiam