The Riskiest Jobs In the World That Mine Sulfur, Salt and Coal | Insider News

Insider News・2 minutes read

Miners in various countries work in hazardous conditions for meager wages, risking their lives and health. Despite facing adversity, they continue working due to limited opportunities, with some like Rinky Kamari aspiring for a better future through education.

Insights

  • Miners in various countries work in hazardous conditions, risking their lives for meager wages due to limited opportunities, leading to injuries, sickness, and death without official records.
  • Salt farmers in India endure strenuous labor to harvest salt, facing hazardous working conditions, debt accumulation, historical exploitation, and illegal farming practices despite government support and advocacy for fair pricing.

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Summary

00:00

Perilous Mining Conditions in Developing Countries

  • Workers in Indonesia mine sulfur from an active volcano, risking their lives and health.
  • In India, a 17-year-old named Rinky illegally mines coal, carrying heavy loads.
  • Limestone quarries in Egypt pay workers $6 a day to work under dangerous conditions.
  • Miners in Egypt use homemade protective gear and dangerous cutting machines.
  • Injuries, sickness, and death are common in these mines, with no official numbers reported.
  • Miners in Egypt earn a meager wage but continue due to lack of better opportunities.
  • Pakistan's Khewra Salt Mine is the second-largest in the world, producing pink salt.
  • Miners in Pakistan work long hours underground, using traditional tools like pickaxes.
  • Pakistan banned salt exports to India to retain profits, leading to new export opportunities.
  • Himalayan salt's alleged health benefits have driven up prices, but miners earn very little.

21:23

Salt farming and mining: labor, risks, history.

  • Farmers use a roller to flatten the earth on expansive salt flats.
  • They manually create 10 to 20 salt pans, involving strenuous labor.
  • The salty brine water is released from wells and flows through the pans to reach 24% salinity for crystal formation.
  • Farmers determine the perfect salinity by tasting the water.
  • Salt crystals form over months as water evaporates.
  • A $22 rake is used to rake salt crystals daily for three months.
  • Farmers start raking early in the morning to avoid extreme heat.
  • Working conditions are hazardous due to extreme temperatures and acidic subsoil brine.
  • Agariyas harvest salt three times a year, with the first harvest yielding the best-quality salt.
  • Despite earning around $2,000 in a good year, farmers often fall into debt due to expenses.
  • The British historically controlled salt production, exploiting farmers and branding them as criminals.
  • Mahatma Gandhi led a successful salt march in 1930 to protest British control.
  • Agariyas continue salt farming illegally in a protected wildlife sanctuary.
  • The government provides equipment and assistance to the farmers.
  • Advocates hope for government intervention to set a minimum salt price.
  • Coal miners in Jharia, India face severe health risks and environmental hazards.
  • Rinky Kamari, a young coal miner, dreams of a better future through education.
  • Miners in Indonesia extract sulfur from a volcanic mine under dangerous conditions.
  • Mistar, a sulfur miner, faces extreme heat and toxic fumes without proper protective gear.

47:27

Sulfur mining in Indonesia: Devil's Gold industry

  • Sulfur is condensed into blocks after dripping off a pipe, solidifying and turning yellow, earning the nickname "devil's gold."
  • Miners at Ijen mine sulfur, with pre-pandemic extraction reaching 25 tons daily, now reduced to 10 tons due to social distancing measures.
  • Miners like Mistar carry loads of sulfur weighing about 154 pounds, with some younger miners managing up to 200 pounds.
  • The sulfur is processed at a factory, purified, and sent to nearby sugar factories for various uses, including sulfuric acid production.
  • The sulfur industry from oil and gas refining is valued at nearly $13 billion, with Ijen being one of the last natural sulfur mining sites.
  • Miners at Ijen are paid about 9 cents per kilo of sulfur, with Mistar earning $17 a day for two loads.
  • Tourism plays a role in keeping the mine open, attracting visitors to witness the blue flame and the miners' work.
  • Joko Tingkir, a tin miner in Indonesia, dives 65 feet underwater to collect tin, facing risks due to toxic gases, pressure, and accidents.
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