A rare video has gone viral in the Democratic Republic of Congo showing nine Congolese miners unexpectedly emerging from a collapsed gold mine and plunging down a steep slope as onlookers cheer.
Mining accidents are common in this central African country, particularly at small artisanal sites in South Kivu province.
The mine collapsed on Saturday due to heavy rains.
Screenshot | Reuters
The video shows a man perched precariously on the side of a steep, sandy slope, frantically digging, while a group of other men stand in a large circle around him and watch him.
Suddenly, a miner emerges from the rubble and runs down the slope, as if coming out of a pipe.
Reuters reported that the audience erupted in joy and surprise.
We see the rescuer redouble his efforts to dig through the rubble with his bare hands. Then another miner appears, and then another, and within two minutes a total of nine are safely out.
The video, which has been widely shared on social media, has been verified by Reuters.
A lack of safety procedures and proper equipment is responsible for frequent tunnel collapses in Congolese mines, where miners are trapped underground with little chance of survival.
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