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Tragedy Claims The Lives of Illegal Gold Miners

By Joel ScanlonAug 26 2010

In a tragedy in an abandoned gold mine in Venezuela six miners were killed while two others were injured as they worked the mine illegally.

The Mining Minster Jose Khan said that the men were using jackhammers to dig four tunnels when the earth which had been loosened by recent rain gave way and buried them.

In his appearance on state television Jose Khan also mentioned that soldiers had ordered the forty odd miners out of the closed Tomi mine site near El Callao. However a few of the miners had continued to work on the mine site located in the south eastern state of Bolivar.

That is when the accident on Monday night occurred. No member of the group had any legal permission or right to work at the abandoned gold mine.

he mine was abandoned in 2008 by the Canadian company Crystallex due to poor productivity.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has ordered an enquiry into the incident. Venezuela is currently trying to crack down on rampant illegal mining camps in the deep jungles with the help of soldiers. Many of these illeagal operations pay little or no attention to safety procedures.

Written by

Joel Scanlon

Joel relocated to Australia in 1995 from the United Kingdom and spent five years working in the mining industry as an exploration geotechnician. His role involved utilizing GIS mapping and CAD software. Upon transitioning to the North Coast of NSW, Australia, Joel embarked on a career as a graphic designer at a well-known consultancy firm. Subsequently, he established a successful web services business catering to companies across the eastern seaboard of Australia. It was during this time that he conceived and launched News-Medical.Net. Joel has been an integral part of AZoNetwork since its inception in 2000. Joel possesses a keen interest in exploring the boundaries of technology, comprehending its potential impact on society, and actively engaging with AI-driven solutions and advancements.

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Scanlon, Joel. (2019, March 19). Tragedy Claims The Lives of Illegal Gold Miners. AZoMining. Retrieved on May 01, 2025 from https://www.azomining.com/News.aspx?newsID=259.
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Scanlon, Joel. "Tragedy Claims The Lives of Illegal Gold Miners". AZoMining. 01 May 2025. <https://www.azomining.com/News.aspx?newsID=259>.
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Scanlon, Joel. 2019. Tragedy Claims The Lives of Illegal Gold Miners. AZoMining, viewed 01 May 2025, https://www.azomining.com/News.aspx?newsID=259.