TANZANIA · MINING
Key Facts
- —What happened Three buried gold miners were rescued alive on Friday, 9 October.
- —Where Ilasaniro artisanal gold pit, Buhemba, Butiama District, Mara Region.
- —Still missing Two of the five miners buried on Thursday morning.
- —Confirmed by Clementina Kihenche, acting Fire and Rescue Force commander for Mara.
- —Gold price The central bank says it recently sold gold near US$4,640 an ounce.
- —Still open The cause of the cave-in and the missing men’s names.
Rescuers in northern Tanzania dug three small-scale gold miners out alive, but two of their colleagues are still under the rubble.
Rescuers in Tanzania’s Mara Region pulled three artisanal gold miners alive from a pit on Friday, 9 October. They had been buried for more than 20 hours.
Two more Tanzania gold miners who were buried with them on Thursday are still missing.
The cave-in hit the Ilasaniro pit in Buhemba, Butiama District, in a region that borders Lake Victoria and Kenya. It comes as Tanzania’s central bank sells gold at high world prices.
What Happened at the Ilasaniro Pit
Five miners were digging inside a shaft on Thursday morning, 8 October. Rock and soil then fell in and buried them.
The Swahili daily Mwananchi reported the cave-in from Musoma, the regional capital.
“While they were digging, suddenly the rubble covered all five of them inside the shaft,” fellow miner Obadia Karume said. The cause has not yet been established.
Clementina Kihenche, the acting regional commander of the Fire and Rescue Force, confirmed the incident. The force is Tanzania’s national fire and emergency service, which answers to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
She said the force, other agencies and local residents worked from Thursday until Friday to reach the men. “Two came out limping slightly and one has no problems, but all three were taken to hospital for further checks,” she said.
The rescued miners were weak from fear and many hours without food, according to Mwananchi. “The search for the others continues,” Kihenche said.
Why Small-Scale Gold Mining Draws So Many Workers
Artisanal mining means digging by hand or with simple tools, usually in shallow shafts with little or no timber support.
Gold prices have surged this year, The Citizen reported.
The Bank of Tanzania, the central bank, said this week it had sold about five tonnes of gold. The price was roughly US$4,640 an ounce.
At that price, five tonnes would be worth roughly US$750 million, by a simple calculation. The bank did not publish a value.
Governor Emmanuel Tutuba said on Thursday, 8 October, that the bank had built up about 35.4 tonnes. It kept about 30 tonnes after the sale.
“There is no business where you only buy and never sell,” he said, as quoted by Mwananchi.
The bank buys gold produced inside Tanzania to build its reserves.
Tutuba said the purchases were not only meant to support the domestic gold value chain. They also earn foreign currency and support the shilling, he said.
A Region Built on Gold
Mara Region lies on the eastern shore of Lake Victoria and borders Kenya. Butiama District is best known abroad as the home village of Julius Nyerere, Tanzania’s founding president.
The region also hosts large industrial gold operations. Barrick, a Canadian miner listed on the New York Stock Exchange, runs the North Mara mine there with the government.
Nothing in the reports links Barrick or any other listed company to the Ilasaniro pit. Mwananchi and The Citizen describe it as a small-scale site worked by local miners.
What It Means for US Readers
Much of the world’s newly mined gold passes through trading hubs and refiners before it reaches US jewellers, electronics makers and investors. Hand-dug pits like Ilasaniro sit at the very start of that chain.
For buyers of East African gold, accidents at small pits raise questions about safety and labour conditions.
What Is Not Known
Officials had not released the names of the two missing miners, and their condition is unknown. The cause of the cave-in has not been determined.
It is not known whether the Ilasaniro pit held a mining licence or met safety rules. The hospital treating the three survivors has not been named.
No regional government or mining official had commented publicly in the reports.
What Comes Next
The Fire and Rescue Force said the search for the two missing miners would continue at the site. Any inquiry into the cause would fall to regional authorities and mining officials.
The rescue does not mean the site is safe, and it does not indicate any wider problem at Tanzania’s industrial mines. The Bank of Tanzania said it paused further gold sales after prices fell.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did the mine accident happen?
It happened at the Ilasaniro artisanal gold pit in Buhemba, Butiama District, in Tanzania’s Mara Region. The region lies on Lake Victoria near the Kenyan border.
How many miners were trapped?
Five miners were buried on Thursday, 8 October. Three were rescued alive on Friday, 9 October, and two were still missing.
Is the pit linked to a foreign mining company?
Local reports describe it as a small-scale site worked by local miners. No listed company has been linked to it.
Why does Tanzanian gold matter to Americans?
Tanzanian gold enters global supply chains that reach US jewellers, manufacturers and investors.
What price is Tanzania getting for its gold?
The Bank of Tanzania said it recently sold about five tonnes at roughly US$4,640 an ounce. It said it stopped selling when prices later fell.
Sources: Mwananchi, rescue report (Swahili); The Citizen, rescue report; Mwananchi, Bank of Tanzania gold sale (Swahili); The Citizen, gold sale; Bank of Tanzania (all accessed 10 October 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
Part of our ongoing coverage
Africa: The New Scramble — the great-power contest over the continent.