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Six people die in Venezuela gold mine

25 August 2010 04:12 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Six illegal miners have been killed in an abandoned gold mine in eastern Venezuela while two others were injured, officials say, APA reports quoting Press TV.

The tragic rock-fall happened in El Callao, in the state of Bolivar, reported AFP on Tuesday.

"On Monday night, the tragic accident occurred. Six compatriots and miners lost their lives and two other compatriots were injured," Industry and Mining Minister Jose Khan told public VTV television.

"The miners opened four tunnels in very unstable clay-like ground and used hammers, which provoked the cave-in due to the vibrations," he explained.

Many of the illegal mining camps are deep in the jungles operating with lax safety standards. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has dispatched soldiers to Bolivar state to try and catch the miners before such incidents take place.