The Amazon rainforest is under siege. Illegal gold mining is a big problem there. Recently, Brazilian police teamed up with Interpol to tackle this issue. They destroyed hundreds of illegal mining rafts on the Madeira River. These rafts were worth millions of dollars. The total damage to criminal gr
Deep in the heart of Mexico's Sierra Gorda, a dangerous game is playing out. Miners like Hugo Flores are digging for mercury, a toxic metal that's becoming more valuable by the day. This isn't just any mining rush; it's a "mercury boom, " driven by soaring gold prices and a global demand for this ha
You might think that when over 200 miners were trapped in an abandoned gold mine in South Africa, the authorities would jump in to help. But that's not what happened. The standoff lasted months, ending with the death of 87 miners. Authorities, instead of aiding the trapped miners, tried to force the
Imagine being trapped deep underground, with no food or water, and no way out. This is the grim reality faced by unknown numbers of illegal miners at a closed gold mine in Stilfontein, about 90 miles from Johannesburg. South African authorities began recovering bodies earlier this week, with 60 alre
Hundreds of miners are trapped underground in an illegal gold mine in South Africa. Instead of helping these desperate workers, the government plans to arrest them. Why? Because they broke the law by entering the mine, says the minister. This crisis has been going on for months, with over 100 deaths
Imagine being trapped more than 2 kilometers underground with no hope in sight. This is the harsh reality for hundreds of miners in South Africa's Buffelsfontein Gold Mine. They've been there for months, many fearing starvation or dehydration. Why? Because the mine was closed years ago, but these mi
