It’s not easy to find English language news on this (yet) and as it’s an important and tragic accident, it gets blog space. At around 4am this morning, an explosion at the Huanuni tin mine in Bolivia killed seven people and injured at least 15 (some local reports have the seriously injured list as high as 40). According to early reports, a truck that was carrying personnel down the main underground mine tunnel exploded, the explosion greatly amplified because it was also carrying dynamite (or similar, we’re still collecting data) on board.
Carrying people and explosive on the same vehicle is of course totally prohibited and as Huanuni is a State-owned and run mine, this tragedy is already turning into a national level scandal. Bolivia’s mine workers have called an immediate strike in protest and solidarity with the dead and injured and President Evo Morales has called for an immediate investigation.