“Uncover the Astonishing Survival Secrets of the Tribe Thriving by a Fiery Volcano!”
The miners then continue to break up the surface salt that has collected overnight and push it to the edges of the lake to be picked up by shovels.
They Need Animals To Help
While the miners get to work clearing away the top layer of salt, donkey caravans begin the treacherous climb back to the top of the crater carrying dozens of kilograms of salt. However, the animals must make their way to the top as early as possible, because the heat of the midday sun can cause them to collapse.
The miners are at the mercy of the sun as well, and as it goes higher in the sky, they are forced to move deeper into the lake for shelter.
There Are Worse Things Than The Sun
Although the heat is incredibly intense, that isn’t the only concern that the miners have to be concerned about while working at the crater. For example, most of the time, the men work in the nude, because the saltwater is so corrosive that it completely erodes their clothes.
It is also harmful to their skin, leading to rampant cases of skin disorders such as eczema and extreme irritation of the skin.
A First-Hand Account
In 2010, Borena diver Momino Hussien told Africa Lens that the workers’ health only gets worse as the years go by. He continued, in an interview with photojournalist and writer Jarmila Kovarikova:
