February 21, 2022
This blast occurred in Burkina Faso, a landlocked country in West Africa. It is bordered by Mali to the northwest, by Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, and Togo and Ghana to the south. Ivory coast is to the Southwest.
A large explosion in the proximity of a gold mining site in southwestern Burkina Faso killed 59 and hurt in excess of 100 other souls.
It is believed that the explosion was caused by chemicals for treating gold being stocked there.
The gold recovery chemicals are like lime, sodium carbonate, sodium hydroxide and sulfuric acid are used for adjusting slurry pH; sodium sulfide used for activation; water glass and phosphate are used for dispersion; flocculation and starch are used for flocculation.
The first blast happened around 2 p.m., and more explosions followed.
Burkina Faso is the fastest-growing gold producer in Africa. Currently it is the number 5 producer in Africa. Gold is the country’s most important export. 1.5 million people call the industry their livelihood. The commodity was worth about $2 billion in 2019.
Gbomblora and other small gold mines have grown in recent years, with somewhere near eight hundred across the country. A lot of gold is being smuggled into neighboring Togo, Benin, Niger and Ghana.
Jihadis linked to al-Quada and the Islamic State apparently control the many small-scale mines that are there. they have also staged attacks since 2016 in Burkina Faso. Reportedly jihadis raise funds by taxing miners. The mine sites are also used as bases for recruiting fighters and provide a place of safe haven for refuge from legitimate forces.
Those in the know say small-scale mines have fewer regulations than industrial ones and can therefore be more dangerous.
Marcena Hunter, a senior analyst at Gloval Initiative, think tank in Switzerland commented, "The limited regulation of the artisanal and small-scale mining sector contributes to increased risks that can be very dangerous, including the use of explosives which are often smuggled into the country and used illegally."
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