30 Presumed Dead in Tanzanite Mining Accident

By Cara Woudenberg · Online Editor

Read the latest update to this story: Mine Accident Kills 39 in Tanzania.

MERERANI, TANZANIA — More than 30 miners are feared dead after an oxygen pump broke down in a tanzanite mine on Thursday, June 20, according to Tanzanian mining officials.

The miners use oxygen pumps fitted with long hoses to pump air down into the mines. When the compressor on the pump failed, the miners' oxygen supply was cut off, suffocating them. Early reports said that three people were sent into the mine afterward to take in a new compressor. When they did not return, it was presumed that they, too, suffocated.

According to the Associated Press, Sam Mollel, chairman of the Tanzania Mineral Dealers Association (TAMIDA), estimated that at least 40 people had died in the accident, based on the number of miners thought to have been deep in the mines at the time.

Reports at press time claimed that Arusha police had recovered only four bodies from the mine, but were working continuously with volunteers to search for more.

The tanzanite pits, which are hundreds of meters deep, have been known to be dangerous. The mines have been under scrutiny due to the lack of safety measures, particularly since 1998, when more than 100 miners died when the mines flooded due to heavy rain.

Posted: June 21, 2002