A gold prospector died of thirst in the Tiris Zemmour desert, while his companions were rescued.
Thirst plagues gold prospectors in the northern Tiris Zemmour desert
Written by: Mohammed Omran
A prospector died gold Thirst in the area known as ”Zad al-Nas” in the state of Tiris Zemmour, in the far north of Mauritania, while prospectors were able to rescue two people who were with him after search operations that lasted for hours.
According to local sources, prospectors found the victim's body after tracking the car he was traveling in with two other people, which had veered off the main road before breaking down in a remote desert area.
Thirst plagues gold prospectors in the northern Tiris Zemmour desert
Sources reported that the car was on its way to the city of Zouerat from one of the gold mining areas, before it stopped amid difficult conditions that led to the death of one of its passengers from thirst, while his companions were found and rescued.
The artisanal gold mining areas in Tiris Zemmour are known for their numerous and rugged sandy paths and roads, making travel through them risky, especially in case of vehicle breakdowns or loss of direction, which exposes prospectors and travelers to serious risks in the harsh climatic conditions.
Toxic chemicals: Death stalks humans and animals due to gold mining in Sudan
In a separate development, in the historical Nubian lands of the Northern State, the number of workers engaged in illegal gold mining has increased.SudanEspecially in the Dalgo Mountains, in the Northern State, while they continue to mine for gold, without supervision, hoping to earn money amid worsening economic difficulties, their practices are causing severe damage to their lives as well as to wildlife at the same time.
High risk in gold mining
Miners say that high fuel prices, power outages, and the collapse of the agricultural sector forced them into this high-risk industry. One worker, who left agriculture after suffering from high costs, says that agriculture was no longer able to cover the expenses, so he turned to mining.
The Dalgo Mountains mine is one of thousands of small locations scattered throughout Sudan, where gold mining has become closely linked to the conflict in the country between the army and the Rapid Support Forces.
According to experts commissioned by the United Nations, large quantities of gold have been smuggled out of the country to finance armed groups that control mining areas in Darfur and Kordofan.
