Written by: Beck
I must say, I've never heard of freelance uranium mining before, but it doesn't especially surprise me that
a horrible accident resulted.
Part of an east Congo uranium mine has collapsed, killing at least eight miners digging there illicitly, authorities said Monday.
The collapse occurred Friday at the Shinkolobwe mine, an open pit honeycombed with tunnels. News reached the capital only Monday because of poor roads and communications in Congo.
That's right, the accident occurred on Friday, but news didn't make it to the capital until Monday. Now that's what I call a break-neck pace. Now as crazy as that all sounds, you may be thinking, surely this couldn't have been going on for very long? I mean, how much time can you productively go digging around closed mines?
The Shinkolobwe mine has been officially closed for decades, and its main shaft sealed.
President Joseph Kabila ordered the zone around the mine closed earlier this year amid growing concerns that unregulated nuclear materials could get into the hands of so-called rogue nations or terrorist groups.
That's right. Decades. At least it only took them until 2004 to realize that anonymous uranium mining might not be a good thing. Speaking of which, what do you think the odds are that miners practiced safe radioactive materials handling procedures? I mean, I realize that unprocessed uranium ore isn't especially dangerous, but it's still not exactly the sort of thing you want to be inhaling airborne flakes of and whatnot. And it's not like this was just a few people either.
Thousands of miners continue to work illegally in its tunnels, most in search of cobalt ore also found in the soil.
Six clandestine miners were pulled out safely after the mine collapsed Friday, said Mwema Teli, a safety official for the Congo government mines agency, by phone.
You heard it here first folks: clandestine miners.