(Business in Cameroon) - In an official statement, Forêt et développement (FODER), an NGO, reports that the tragedy which occurred in the night of December 29-30, 2017 has increased the death toll of people who died in mines abandoned by mining firms in the East region in 2017 to 43. That night indeed, 9 gold washers who were looking for gold have perished in an abandoned mine in Ngoegoe.

Although the applicable regulations require the mining firms to refill the holes and trenches dug during the exploration once they have completed the exploitation, local administrative sources reveal that many firms do not comply with these regulations. So, the holes dug during their exploration have become real cemeteries for gold washers of the neighboring villages who drown in them or die during the collapse of those unrestored mines.

BRM