Ex-government Workers Mine for Salvation in Afghan Mountains

A tiny piece of emerald from Afghanistan's Mikeni Valley can be all that separates miners from extreme poverty. Mohd RASFAN AFP

In the bone-splitting chill of the Afghan mountains, Mohammad Israr Muradi digs through coarse earth spilling from the open mouth of an emerald mine.

With an improvised sieve and a few splashes of water, the former police officer scours a slag heap for fragments of the green gemstone, swarmed by dozens of others vying for the same prize, AFP said.