On Monday, June 5, the rescue and security forces carried out a final search to rule out that people were trapped after the collapse in the La Talavera mine, in El Callao.
Text: Jhoalys Siverio / Caroní Mail
After the victims of the collapse at the La Talavera mine, in the El Perú sector, in El Callao, were buried on Sunday, June 4, authorities confirmed the identity of the 12 deceased.
The victims are Herikson Jesús Rojas Malavé, 24 years old; Javier Enrique Rojas Malave, 18 years old; Evelio Ramón Ortiz, 34 years old; Jorge Luis Aular Reyes, 19 years old; Robert José Cuevas Sotillo, 25 years old; Yuset Moisés Escalona González, 28 years old; Yerfenson José Romero González, 26 years old; Andrés Eloy Morán Barreto, 30 years old; Dimas Antonio Garcia Delgado, 24 years old; Rolando De Jesus Aguinagalde, 28 years old; Elvis Antonio Guerra, 25 years old; and Jesús Gabriel Diaz Aguilera, 33 years old.
In total, 124 miners survived the avalanche in the gold gallery. The rescue work was carried out entering through the Isidora mine, to access the collapse zone, where Civil Protection officials, Municipal Firefighters and surviving miners entered.
The collapse in the La Talavera mine is attributed to the rise in groundwater due to the heavy rains last Tuesday, May 30, in the municipality, which left some 450 families affected.
However, the leader Dario Graffe recalled “this type of event occurs when there are no conditions or permits to work.”
*Read also: Deforestation by mining alliances affected the collapse of drainages in El Callao
Mining has been carried out for years in the south of Bolívar state, and is the main economic activity and livelihood of a large number of families. The economic crisis that affects the country, led to a pendulum migration that makes inhabitants of different states dedicate themselves to gold work in search of a better livelihood.
In fact, two of the deceased were brothers from Monagas state. For the past two years, they have traveled frequently to the south of Bolívar to work in the mining industry and bring livelihoods to their homes.
“Many of those who work in artisanal mining have little technical knowledge for the exploitation of gold material. It is not opening a ravine and extracting gold, without knowing whether or not they are at risk due to the instability of the terrain. There is an urgent need for control in mining exploitation,” Graffe reiterated.
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