In a military operation carried out this Saturday, December 25, 2021, the military found traces of illegal mining activity under the center of Zaruma.
Total, 16 sticks of dynamite already assembled and ready to use were found by the military who carried out an operation to prevent mining activity in Zaruma (El Oro).
The soldiers found the material, as well as picks, shovels and food, in a tunnel that crosses under the sinkhole that was generated on December 15 passed and caused houses to fall on the surface.
12 members of Brigade 1 El Oro, accompanied by the Reconnaissance Group of the Army’s Third Division, carried out an operation this Saturday, December 25, against illegal mining. The soldiers started their operations in a mine mouth and followed the trail of a tunnel that led to the center of the city of Zaruma.
#Gold| Armed Forces conducted a tour of the interior of the mine mouths in #Zaruma, where the damage caused to the subsoil was evidenced and 16 blocks of dynamite armed with slow and explosive wick were found, ready to be used by the so-called sabers. pic.twitter.com/rChDS8jZQp
– FFAAEcuador (@FFAAECUADOR) December 25, 2021
Like the explosives, meters of slow fuse, primers, sachets, bottles, food and other utensils used by the so-called illegal miners to remove material from the veins at Zaruma.
The National Service for Risk and Emergency Management reported in a bulletin that the Wednesday, December 15 a subsidence was registered in the urban area of the city. Specifically in the streets Colón and 10 de Agosto. That affected nearby homes. That is why he activated a protocol for the immediate evacuation of the affected families.
Until now, three houses in the center of Zaruma have fallen due to mining problems in the last month. (DPV)
