Body of last missing miner in flooded Burkina Faso mine found

By James Tasamba

KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) - Burkina Faso’s government said late Monday that the eighth and last body of a group of miners who were reported missing in April had been found, bringing to an end more than two months of searching in a zinc mine.

The miners were reported missing on April 16 in the Perkoa zinc mine owned by Canada-based Trevali Mining Corp’s entity Nantou Mining Burkina Faso S.A. following heavy rains.

It has been 66 days since the search was launched for the miners, who included six Burkinabes, a Tanzanian and a Zambian.

“After 66 days of searching, the eight miners who disappeared after the flooding have finally all been found dead,” the government said in a statement.

Seven miners had already been found dead in the underground galleries of the mine on separate days between May 24 and June 8.

The Perkoa mine has safe rooms in case of incidents and disasters, but rescue teams opened the first shelter room, where no miners were found.

A second chamber that raised hopes was also opened, but no miner was found there.

Since then, the chances of finding the miners alive became slim.