Five killed in Tanzania mine collapse

Dodoma, July 8: At least five people were killed and one was seriously injured when a tanzanite

collapsed in northern

, police said on Sunday. The mine is owned by Fanoni Mining Ltd, which is a property of Onesmo Mbise.

The mine accident occurred on Saturday night in Manyara region's Mireran area, reported Xinhua citing regional police commander Akili Mpwapwa, who added that the accident occurred at midnight when miners were searching for tanzanite -- a purple-blue shimmering stone -- underground .

The latest accident followed the one in which 14 people were killed in April 1 in Moshono area.

Tanzanite, a gemstone discovered by Maasai tribesmen in 1967, is found only in northern Tanzania. In 2005, a leading gemstone miner said it unearthed the world's largest tanzanite stone weighing about three kg.

The injured were admitted at the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center (KCMC) in Moshi Municipality.

The third largest producer of gold, after South Africa and Ghana, Tanzania is also rich in diamond, ruby, emerald, and sapphire

IANS