By Fatima Saka
A strong explosion near a gold mining site in south-western Burkina Faso has killed 59 people and injured more than 100 others on Monday.
According to witnesses, the explosion was believed to have been caused by chemicals used to treat gold that were stocked at the site.
“I saw bodies everywhere. It was horrible,” Sansan Kambou, a forest ranger who was at the site during the explosion.
The first blast happened around 2 p.m., with more explosions following as people ran for their lives, he said.
Burkina Faso is the fastest-growing gold producer in Africa and currently the fifth largest on the continent, with gold being the country’s most important export. The industry employs about 1.5 million people and was worth about $2 billion in 2019.
Small gold mines like Gbomblora have grown in recent years, with some 800 across the country. Much of the gold is being smuggled into neighboring Togo, Benin, Niger and Ghana, according to the South Africa-based Institute for Security Studies.
The Mining experts say the small-scale mines have fewer regulations than industrial ones and thus can be more dangerous.
“The limited regulation of the artisanal and small-scale mining sector contributes to increased risks that can be very dangerous, including the use of explosives which are often smuggled into the country and used illegally,” said Marcena Hunter, senior analyst at Global Initiative, a Swiss-based think tank.
