Rabat – Morocco has offered its help to rescue eight miners that are stuck in an underground zinc mine of Perkoa for two weeks.
Anadolu Agency quoted Burkina Faso’s Government Information Service as saying that both the EU and Morocco offered to help Burkinabe authorities rescue the miners that have been stuck in the mine since April 16.
As the rescue operation goes on, the Burkinabe government has sent to its partners a list of what it needs in terms of technical equipment and human resources that could speed up the search process.
“There are significant advances in the search for miners stuck in the basements of the zinc mine,” said the general manager of Nantou Mining, a Canadian company operating the zinc mine of Perkoa Hein Frey in Burkina Faso.
Authorities said the miners could be found at a depth of 580 meters.
A similar rescue operation made the headlines in Morocco and worldwide after a five-year-old boy, Rayan, was trapped inside a narrow well for four days near Chefchaouen.
As many volunteered to help rescue the Moroccan boy, Morocco mobilized groups of rescue workers, including auxiliary forces, police, firefighters, and manual diggers to help rescue Rayan.
After four days of sleepless efforts, rescuers were able to pull Rayane out of the well.
Minutes after his rescue operation, however, a royal communique declared Rayane’s death.
Al Jazeera reported on May 2 that Burkina Faso’s government launched a judicial investigation into a flood at a zinc mine.
Heavy rainfall caused flash floods, leaving eight workers trapped underground.
Canada-based Trevali Mining Corp suspended operations at the mine that is located 100 kilometers away from Ouagadougou, the Burkinabe capital.
The country’s Prime Minister, Albert Ouedraogo, announced that managers of the Canadian company have been banned from leaving Burkina Faso.
“Precautionary measures have been taken to prevent the persons in charge of the mine from leaving the country and instructions have been given firmly to the Minister of Security for this,” the PM office said on Monday, May 2.
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