Mara — Three small-scale gold miners were pulled alive from the Ilasaniro mine in Buhemba, Butiama District, Mara Region, after a collapse buried five workers on the morning of October 8, 2026.
As of Sunday evening rescuers were still searching for the two others; authorities have not confirmed their condition or released the miners’ names.
Acting Mara Fire and Rescue Commander Clementina Kihenche said the Fire and Rescue Force, other agencies and local residents recovered the three survivors after more than 20 hours. One was uninjured and two came out limping with minor injuries, she said; all were taken to hospital for further checks and treatment.
A fellow miner, Obadia Karume, told Mwananchi newspaper that soil and rock suddenly covered the five men while they were working underground. Kihenche said the cause had not yet been established.
Ilasaniro has been described as a small-scale gold-mining site in Buhemba, rather than a large industrial operation. Authorities’ statements so far do not identify its mineral-right holder or operator.
READ MORE: Five Die in Kitaita Mine Collapse in Morogoro
The accident is the latest in a continuing pattern of fatal and near-fatal collapses at small-scale sites. On September 7, five people died and four were rescued after a debris fall at a gold mine in Kitaita village, Gairo District; in February, five men died when a sand quarry collapsed in Tanga.
A peer-reviewed study published in August reviewed 268 reported artisanal and small-scale mining accidents in Geita-Shinyanga, Chunya and Mererani between 2009 and 2024, recording 420 deaths and 234 injuries — at least 26 deaths a year on average in those selected mining areas.
It found groundfalls and shaft collapses among the leading direct causes, alongside falls from height, suffocation, explosives and flooding.
The researchers linked risks to insufficient shaft support, limited technology, inadequate protective equipment, weak planning and training, and unsafe practices; they also cautioned that less serious incidents often go unreported.
The study recommends stronger enforcement, meaningful penalties for violations, safer mine planning and design, transparent reporting, and root-cause investigations.
READ MORE: Five Dead in Tanga’s Quarry Collapse as Mining Safety Concerns Mount
Tanzania’s 2025 technical-support rules were intended to let holders of primary mining licences obtain formal expertise, equipment and skills to improve safety and compliance, subject to Mining Commission oversight.
Training has accompanied the regulatory changes, although the effect on accident rates is not yet clear.
Between May and July 2025, the Mining Commission, the Foundation for ASM Development and the ACP–EU Development Minerals Programme trained more than 380 artisanal miners in Singida, Dodoma, Morogoro and Tanga on safe procedures, personal protective equipment and basic first aid.
The Mining Commission has also directed mine owners, managers and inspectors to carry out daily shaft inspections, reinforce weak sections and maintain workable emergency plans, particularly before heavy rains.
