|
ARUSHA, Tanzania, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Three people died of suffocation at a gold mine pit in southwestern Tanzania on Monday, authorities confirmed on Tuesday.
Rehema Madusa, Chunya District Commissioner said that the accident occurred at around 11 a.m., Monday, in a remote village of Itumba in the district of Chunya.
Mbeya Region Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police Dhahir Kidavashar, said the deceased workers were using a pump to draw water from a mine pit to extract gold from sand when the accident happened.
Madusa said due to water shortage, people in the district are forced to use a pump connected to a generator to direct water into the mine.
According to Madusa, two men went into the pit, where they were overwhelmed by carbon dioxide produced by the generator smoke. A third man died after jumping into the ditch to save the two without taking any precaution. Enditem
