Support 40 million VND to bring the bodies of 3 victims from Nghe An back to their hometown

The district said that the subordinates did not report the illegal gold mine so they did not know. Quang Nam will conduct a general inspection of illegal mineral exploitation.

On the afternoon of April 13, Mr. Bui Van Ba, Head of the Minerals Division of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Quang Nam province, had a meeting with the press regarding the death of four victims while mining minerals in Dung commune (Thanh My town, Nam Giang).

The district has never heard the report.

Mr. Bui Van Ba ​​said: The initial assessment of the authorities is that the gold mining site in Dung village must have been recently illegally exploited. Because according to the report of the People's Committee of Nam Giang district, this did not happen before and after Tet. In the near future, the department will organize a general inspection of the illegal mining situation not only in Nam Giang district but also in other areas in the province to have handling measures.

Rescuers carry victims out of the tunnel. Photo: QN

At noon of the same day, the Police and the People's Procuracy of Quang Nam province coordinated with relevant agencies of Nam Giang district to conduct an examination of the gold mine in Dung village (Thanh My town, Nam Giang district) to investigate the cause of the deaths of four gold miners earlier.

Mr. Alang Mai, Chairman of the People's Committee of Nam Giang district, said that the locality has also allocated funds to support each deceased victim with 5 million VND for burial, 3 million VND for injured victims, and 40 million VND for transportation costs to bring the bodies of three victims in Nghe An back to their hometowns.

“Up to now, I have never heard any reports from Thanh My town about this gold mining issue. On the evening of April 12, I received a report from the town about the death of the gold miners. After that, I called the provincial leaders and requested the rescue team to come and help the victims. Currently, there is no information about the owner of this mineral mining area. The authorities are investigating to find out the details of the incident,” Mr. Alang Mai added.

Exploited long ago

According to our records, at the gold mine where the tragic incident occurred, there are still two intact camps and equipment such as machines and equipment for gold mining. In addition, there are household items such as pots, pans, dishes, and clothes.

Authorities are examining the scene. Photo: QN

According to the results of the investigation of the scene by the authorities, the tunnel is about 17 meters long and has many nooks and crannies. At the innermost part is a deep hole with a pulley and a rock-pulling machine for gold mining. The tunnel is supported roughly by wooden stakes and planks, which is very dangerous. In addition, there are many machines and wheelbarrows left haphazardly inside the tunnel.

According to the initial assessment of the authorities, the gold mining site in Dung village was recently illegally exploited. However, when talking to us, many people living near this gold mine said that this gold mining has been happening for a long time, and people have reported it to the town People's Committee many times.

“There are usually seven to eight gold miners working regularly on the gold mines. The blasts often take place at night, they blast continuously, making it impossible for us to sleep. We have petitioned the town People's Committee many times but have not received a final solution."

To clarify information about when the gold mine existed and whether the town People's Committee reported it to the district, we contacted the town People's Committee but have not received any response.

According to PLO