English
Kinyarwanda
Rwanda National Police (RNP) has reminded mining communities to take maximum precaution and carry out the mining activities professionally in order to avoid likely disasters.
The call follows as incident on June 19 in Buyoga Cell of Kabakuzi Sector in Muhanga District, when an illegal miner was buried by landslide after a cliff at a cassiterite mining site, curved in at about mid-night.
Police was informed about the incident and arrived at the scene immediately for further investigations.
Police Spokesperson for Southern Province, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Hurbert Gashagaza, said that mining communities in the province are susceptible to such accidents if precaution is not taken seriously.
“Young people, the majority involved, should know that these are illegal activities, against the law because of their impact on the economy but also puts their lives at risk. Carrying out mining at night when there is no sufficient light is a poor and suicidal decision" he said.
He also called on mining companies to avail their staff with protective gears and necessary training in order to conduct mining professionally and safely.
"Mining does not simply mean securing a license and other required documents or buying protective gears alone; there's also need to train the miners and equip them with skills to help them understand the geography of the area they are working in and how to prevent such disasters,” he said.
Local authorities were also argued to ensure miners respect rules and regulations governing the industry to protect lives and preserve environment.
He noted that police regularly conducts awareness among miners and also reminded the communities to provide timely information whenever such disasters occur to ensure timely response and rescue.
