Illegal miners killed in Suriname

Seven miners who were digging for gold in an unauthorized area in eastern Suriname were killed in a landslide over the weekend.

PARAMARIBO, Suriname, – Seven miners who were digging for gold in an unauthorized area in eastern Suriname were killed in a landslide over the weekend.

Two others were seriously injured, while three escaped the collapse that occurred late Saturday. The bodies of the dead were recovered yesterday.

Surgold LLC said that the men were mining at the foot of a 10-metre wall in a pit in the company’s exploration area when a landslide occurred.

Head of the National Coordinating Centre for Disaster Management, Lieutenant Colonel Jerry Slijngaard, said the miners were likely using a water hose to blast away soil when the collapse began.

Surgold’s representative in Suriname, Esteban Crespo, confirmed that the miners “were not associated with our exploration activities”.

The company had previously warned illegal miners, on several occasions, about the dangers of their activity and urged them to stop.

In a statement issued yesterday, Surgold said these porknockers - as the gold miners are known - have "illegally occupied Surgold's right to exploration" since last year and have been using unregulated, unsafe and illegal mining techniques.

"The situation became so serious that Surgold stopped all exploration activities in the area several months ago due to concerns over safety and security, which was formally notified to the proper authorities," it said.

However, the company said it was deeply saddened by the miners' deaths.