Following recent instruction from Da Nang government, the municipal Military High Command and local functional bodies together destroyed illegal gold mines in mountainous areas of Hoa Bac Commune, Hoa Vang District on Thursday. They also seized much equipment and tools that illegal gold miners buried near the site.

Da Nang’s inter-disciplinary inspection team ready for destroying illegal gold mines in mountainous areas of Hoa Bac Commune, Hoa Vang District on Thursday

According to the municipal Forest Range Force, before Tet breaks, from 12 January to 10 February, forest rangers worked with representaives of relevant agencies to conduct three surprise inspection visits to deal with illegal gold exploitation in Hoa Bac Commune.

Illegal mining has become a complex issue, especially the toxic chemicals utilised in the process, as they are a serious health hazard for the surrounding neighbourhood. Cyanide and mercury are amongst the toxic chemicals used by illegal diggers to filter gold, and they were discharged directly into the environment.

In reality, the gold mines had been manually dug into the mountainside and into the ground with many vertical tunnel sections.

The tunnels miners dig are mostly supported by bare rock alone, the stifling air inside making it hard to breathe and see despite the availability of flashlights.

Miners have to crawl through deep tunnels searching for luck. They usually work near deep trenches or on the edges of cliffs, making accidents more likely. When strangers appear, they immediately leave their camps and run up to the mountain's summit to hide.

By HOANG HIEP- Translated by A.T