Ouagadougou: Two gold miners lost their lives following a landslide at an artisanal gold mining site in Diarkadougou, a locality situated about ten kilometers from the capital of the commune of Bondigui.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the tragedy occurred on the evening of Thursday, April 9, 2026. A landslide buried two artisanal miners at the bottom of a well approximately 40 meters deep.
Alerted, the other gold miners present at the site immediately launched rescue operations to try to free the victims. Despite three days of intensive searching, their efforts were unsuccessful in extracting them from the rubble.
Faced with the high risk of a new landslide, linked in particular to the instability of the soil, its clayey nature, and the presence of moisture with rising water, the search has been suspended for safety reasons. On Monday, April 13, 2026, a team from the district police station went to the site to assess the situation and raise awareness among artisanal operators about the dangers of continuing activities in a high-risk area.
The preliminary report indicates two deaths. The victims, aged around thirty, remain buried under the rubble. There was intense emotion and profound consternation among the bereaved families and the local community.
The President of the special delegation of the commune of Bondigui, Patrick Bedel Bassiere, accompanied by local authorities, including the police commander and the president of the Village Development Council (CVD), visited the families of the victims to express the compassion and solidarity of the commune. On this occasion, he urged the site operators to exercise caution and responsibility in conducting their activities. "When safety conditions are not met, work must be suspended," he insisted, warning of the increased risks during periods of humidity.
Mr. Bassiere also announced that consultations would soon be held with the managers of the gold mining sites in the municipality, with a view to strengthening security measures and preventing further tragedies.