At least 10 people aged between 22 and 31 were killed and 4 people wounded by the collapse of a deep hole in Hu (ancient Diospolis Magna) in Qena governate. The wounded were taken to the hospital in Nag Hammadi. Initial investigation showed that the 14 people were involved in excavations for archaeological artefacts and the ceiling of the 100-metre long tunnel collapsed due to an explosion of an electric generator inside the hole.Source: www.moheet.com
Hat tip to Nicole Hanson.
UPDATE 12.03.12 Other sources are telling a similar story located "in the village of Arab al-Manasra, north of the historic city of Luxor", with ten killed and two injured.
Ambitions of making money quickly have incited many to turn to illegal archaeological digging, particularly in antiquities-rich locations such as Luxor, Aswan and Cairo. “We have to work on many levels to stop these get-rich-quick schemes, where people are digging for an illusion,” Mansur Boreik, head of the Luxor antiquities department told AFP.Meanwhile the Egyptian gazette has an article on deaths due to collapse of tunnels dug under people's houses by artefact hunters:
Dreams of making a fast fortune have motivated many Egyptians, who are looking for antiquities and carrying out excavations not only at locations known for Pharaonic precious artefacts, but also to other areas of Cairo. Sayeda Aisha, Khalifa, Tunsi and Deweiqa have all recently witnessed increased excavations, which affect houses and put people’s lives at risk. According to older inhabitants of these areas, a large number of residents of these areas are being deceived, because of their state of poverty and dreams of speedy wealth. The senior citizens stressed that these deluded residents wrongly believe that people exhibiting riches imply that they are working in illegal archaeological trading and smuggling. The senior citizens have appealed to mosque employees more than once to try to stop these excavations. However, nobody responds to these calls and death is the frequent end, due to undermined houses collapsing.AFP: Ten people killed in Egypt while digging for ancient treasures
Egyptian Gazette: Deluded Diggers Defy Death
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