Two dead after 4,000 riot at gold mine in Tanzania

Tanzania

A young man and woman are dead after thousands of people swarmed an African Barrick Gold mine in northwestern Tanzania Saturday, reports the Daily News.

About 4,000 people invaded the North Mara open pit mine allegedly to steal gold sand and police fired tear gas into the crowd to disperse it.

A police spokesman said the woman was shot while the man was struck by a sharp object during a riot that lasted for several hours.

An officer and a private security guard were also injured by machetes during the incident.

Mining property was damaged, although the extent is still to be determined.

The North Mara mine, the largest in Tanzania, has reportedly seen frequent invasions by local villagers.

African Barrick Gold is a subsidiary of Canadian miner Barrick Gold.

Image: Wikimedia Commons