Santacruz Silver Mining reports fatality at Tres Amigos mine in Bolivia
Tres Amigos mine, a part of the Caballo Blanco Group of mines, has resumed operations after it was shut down following the incident.
It seems that Guatemala’s poor will go to extreme lengths for the chance to find valuable precious metals.
The Associated Press reports that hundreds of people regularly search for jewelry and scraps of metal among the trash that spills from a drainage tunnel into Guatemala City’s main landfill:
Every day, about 300 hike to the bottom of the ravine and wade into the water in search of rings and bracelets made of silver or gold. The water sifts and carries away the lighter garbage, leaving heavy metals on the stream bed.
Apart from enduring obvious foul odours, several people have drowned trying to pick garbage out of the fast-flowing water moving through the ravine, reports AP.
The “miners” say they can make up to 2000 quetzals ($256) a day, almost as much as the $270 per month minimum wage.
