Collapse kills Tanzanian miners

Three people have been rescued after a gold mine collapsed on Sunday in north-western Tanzania but some 17 more are believed to be still missing.

Miners were using hand tools to dig a shaft when a wall gave way as they reached a depth of around 140m (460ft).

The names of 12 miners seen going underground have been registered outside the mine in the town of Geita.

But eight more are believed to have accompanied their colleagues under the sandy soil.

The survivors, reported to be in a serious condition, have been taken to a nearby hospital.

The BBC's Vicky Ntetema in Tanzania says this is the third fatal mining accident in a year.

More than 80 died after a mine in Mererani was flooded a year ago, while six more died in September 2008.

Geita has attracted miners since gold was discovered in the early 1900s.

Correspondents say the prospectors' activities are highly unregulated, resulting in dangerous practices.

"These are people who lack skills, lack the technology and capital and therefore the activities are always risky," says Bashiru Ally, a lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam.