World News

Over 20 miners trapped in Ethiopia cave for 3 days

The rescue operations are underway in a remote community located in northern Ethiopia, where more than 20 people are trapped in a cave due to small-scale mining activities.

It had been three days since a constricted cave fell on the miners in the Delanta district.

The authorities are unsure of the exact number of miners trapped while searching for opal gemstones.

The area's difficult topography has hindered rescue efforts, local officials informed the BBC.

Many residents are endeavouring to excavate entrances for the miners, as the topography of the area has posed challenges in obtaining assistance from machinery.

Rescue efforts have thus far proved futile, but the authorities maintain optimism over the discovery of survivors.

According to the officials, in a prior occurrence, a miner was discovered alive after being trapped inside the cave for seven days.

"Residents in Ethiopia's Delanta district have been diligently working in shifts, both day and night, for the past few days to remove the rocks," reports Tesfaye Agazh.

He is one of many local individuals making fervent efforts to rescue over 20 miners who became trapped in a cave three days ago while searching for opals.

"Despite the passage of time, there remains a significant amount of information to uncover, and it appears that we are not making any progress," Mr Tesfaye informs the BBC.

"We are optimistic about the possibility of finding survivors, although we acknowledge that it is a slim probability." We will persist until we locate them, regardless of whether they are living or deceased.