Results for: Illegal mining

A Chinese mining company, Kimia Mining Investment, has been accused of illegally expanding its operations within Congo’s Okapi Wildlife Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This expansion, spanning eight years, has resulted in significant environmental damage and threatens the reserve’s unique biodiversity, including the endangered okapi. Despite conflicting statements from the company and Congolese authorities, evidence suggests widespread environmental destruction and human rights violations.

Peru’s Congress approved a six-month extension to the REINFO registry, allowing small-scale informal miners to continue operating while seeking formalization. This decision comes amidst widespread protests from miners who deem the extension insufficient and accusations of the scheme’s misuse in fueling illegal mining.

Search and rescue efforts for 30 people presumed trapped under a landslide at an illegal gold mine in Indonesia’s Sulawesi island have been suspended due to heavy rainfall. The landslide, which occurred on Sunday, buried makeshift camps of over 100 villagers searching for gold, resulting in at least 27 deaths and 92 survivors. Authorities are facing challenges in the rescue operation due to difficult terrain, unstable soil, and heavy rain.