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One Miner Dead in Albania
One miner was killed and another injured on Sunday after a gallery collapsed at a chromium mine in the town of Bulqiza, in northern Albania. Chromium is Albania’s biggest mineral resource, and is one of the country’s main exports. In 2007, Albania exported more than €130 million in chromium, nearly one-fifth of the country’s total exports.
Although chromium prices have risen in recent years on international markets, investment in safety has remained low in Albania. Fifteen miners have lost their lives in the last 18 months, the bulk of them in the Bulqiza area, where mines are operated by some 40 companies.
According to the local media reports, the gallery where the accident took place was used by an unlicensed company.
Albania’s mining industry has been mired in controversy due to the frequent accidents, and a Balkan Insight investigation in August 2008 discovered that many companies that have won major concessions from Albania to operate precious copper, gold, chromium and silver mines are failing to uphold their contracts. Read more: Investors Abuse Deals to Tap Albania’s Riches
Critics say that even when mining companies operating on concessionary contracts are blatantly failing to uphold their agreements, the government appears unwilling to act.
(Reporting by Besar Likmeta)
