The families of miners who lost their way out of South Wolo mourned after 19 days

27 February 2024

The families and local residents who were trying to evacuate the people who were enraged by a mining tunnel 19 days ago in South Wolo Zone in Amhara Region; Their hopes of finding the miners alive were dashed.

The families of the miners began to mourn since last week, and it is said that the family of the two brothers buried in the cave, which has not yet mourned, is releasing "Erm" today.

South Wolo Zone, Delanta District; At the end of last month, January 30/2016. Over the past few weeks, efforts have been made to rescue at least eight people who went into a cave to mine opal at night and encountered Nada.

The families and local residents who have been doing this experiment yesterday, Monday, February 19/2016. After the failure of the defense army's attempt, they are in despair.

Ayaleu Berihun, the head of the Delanta district, told the BBC that the overhanging part of the cliff, which created a threat of "collapsing and harming people" who were digging to save the miners, was hit ten times by a tank.

However, the chief administrator said that this attempt by the defense army failed. “Everything possible has been tried; "It is not possible to fight with nature, it is not possible to defeat nature," he said, explaining that the heavy weapons fired could not bring down the suspended part of the cave.

The chief administrator, who said that "the number of diggers has decreased in the current situation" due to the delay in the efforts to save lives, also raised the fact that there are families who are grieving to "remove the damage".

The Defense Forces joined the effort to rescue the miners; Monday's attempt to hit a section of the gorge with artillery is not the first. On Monday last week, an attempt was made to detonate a mine on this part of the cliff, but to no avail.

Kandye Tesfaye, his 28-year-old cousin in the tunnel, told the BBC that the miners' families were left in despair after the failed attempt.

"Except for one family, they started [family mourning] only after the other explosive experience failed."

Of the eight families whose family members were left in the cave, the And family was the only one that remained in mourning until yesterday Monday, two families who spoke to the BBC and the chairman of the local Gold Cave Precious Minerals Producer and Marketing Association, Tesfaye Agaige, said.

Two brothers, Fantaye Getaye and Dejene Getaye, were buried in the cave today, the cousin of the brothers, Ato Kasau Mekon, told the BBC.

Ato Kasau remembers that the two brothers, who are 26 and 31 years old, supported their own family and their mother and father with the money they earned from mining and day jobs. His two brothers who got married at this time last year; Their owners are pregnant.

According to Mr. Kasau, the family of the two brothers, who had hope until now, are saddened by the failure of yesterday's attempt.

"Until now, we were hoping that maybe he would go down when he was hit by a tank or anything by the government. Today, it has been tried by the government and the people and the cliff has become impassable. . . . . We waited for the last 19 days; But now there is no solution. The family and relatives gathered together to grieve.

Families spoken to by the BBC said they no longer had hope that the trapped miners would be found alive.

Yesterday, Monday, the family mourned Kandye; “[Previously] there were children who were found alive after 11 days, so we were hoping that we would find them alive until 11, 12 days. "If we don't find them alive now, we don't want to make another sacrifice," he said, explaining that the hope of finding the miners alive has dwindled.

Ato Tesfayem, chairman of the Gold Cave Precious Metals Producer and Marketing Association, told the BBC that this feeling was created among the families.

Mr. Tesfaye says, "We are desperate" due to the failure of the mine and tank test. "It's been a long time and I'm losing hope now that we can't help." At least they should be [found] alive and their bodies should be exhumed."

The chairman of the association; He explained that since the part of the cliff that caused the fear that it would be destroyed was not hit by the tank, they still believe that the excavation by the people should continue.

Delanta District Chief Administrator Ato Ayaleum told the BBC that he shares this idea. They said that it is expected that the digging by people will continue tomorrow, Wednesday.

Residents and local authorities said that although it was initially reported that there may be more than 20 people who were killed in the accident while in the opal mining cave in South Wolo, Delanta District 018, Alewat Kebele Koq Water, residents and local officials said that the number of people buried in the cave is 8.

Although efforts were made by the local administrators and residents from the beginning to rescue the people who were almost three weeks after the cave collapsed and lost their way out, the topography of the mine site was not difficult to enter large numbers of people or digging equipment, but they did not achieve good success.