—Several People killed at Abandoned Liberia gold mine
IPNEWS: Several people are feared dead at an abandoned gold mine in the provisional County of Liberia mines minister said on Tuesday.
Minister Wilmot Paye said at least seven people died in Monday night’s incident, but acknowledged the authorities could not yet provide an exact death toll until a team reached the site in Rivercess County in south-central Liberia.
“I was told that seven persons died, but I can’t say much until the team gets there. The mines had been abandoned several months ago,” Paye told Reuters, adding that he did not know which company had operated the site.
“If we get the details of the company, the law will take its course,” he said.
Liberia, one of the world’s poorest countries, is rich in minerals including gold, diamonds and iron ore. Paye gave no details about the nature of the accident.
Last December 2023, in central Liberia, a tanker crashed and burst, killing over 40 people, the chief medical officer of the nation informed local media on Wednesday.
About 130 kilometres (80 miles) from the capital Monrovia, on a route in Totota, the gasoline tanker crashed and overturned into a ditch.
Former Liberia’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Francis Kateh estimated that about 40 persons that was killed in the accident, but he told local newsmen that it was hard to pinpoint the exact number of casualties because some had been reduced to ashes.
“We have our team going from home to home to check those that are missing,” he told reporters.
While residents gathered at the scene, police previously reported that at least 30 people had been injured and that the death toll was 15.
“There were lots of people that got burned,” said Prince B. Mulbah, deputy inspector general for the Liberia National Police.
Following the collision, some residents started to take the escaping gas when the tanker exploded, killing some and injuring others, according to another police officer, Malvin Sackor.
He said that the police were still compiling the overall death and injury toll.
An eyewitness from Totota, Aaron Massaquoi, told newsmen that “people climbed all on top of the truck taking the gas, while some of them had irons hitting the tanker for it to burst for them to get gas.”
“People were all around the truck and the driver of the truck told them that the gas that was spilling they could take that,” Massaquoi said.
“He told them not to climb on top of the tanker and that they should stop hitting the tanker…. but some people were even using screwdrivers to put holes on the tank.”
