This is one of the most toxic jobs in the world: Working for 3 years can make you blind and deaf, and turn your skin from black to white.

The work of mining "white gold" is considered the most dangerous and arduous.

The world is full of dangerous jobs such as: coal mining, stone mining, high-rise window cleaning, snake venom extraction, etc. These are the most dangerous jobs in the world that seem to be only for the brave and highly resilient.

There are many different reasons why a person would risk his life on a dangerous job. It could be for survival, but it could also stem from the desire to earn a large income.

One of the most dangerous and stressful jobs in the world is salt mining in Ethiopia , an African country. They work hard all their lives to make a living. They trade sweat, tears, and even their lives to exploit the mineral known as "white gold".

Salt miners in Ethiopia

The Danakil Depression, located in the Danakil Desert in Ethiopia, is considered the hottest place on earth. The Danakil Desert is located in the Afar Triangle. It is about 100 meters below sea level and contains red rocks, sulfur ores, and salt deposits.

It is in this depression that the Afar people live . Here, salt is money because the economy depends on salt mining and trading. About 750 salt miners are allowed to work in the area. They mine salt with primitive tools such as hammers and axes.

The local economy here is relatively backward, mainly manual labor, with little modern machinery to support it. Without pneumatic drills or specialized equipment for miners, workers have to use rudimentary tools to break the salt slabs out of the ground.

In contrast to the rich life of the mine owners, the hired workers were very poor. They worked hard but their wages were cheap, not commensurate with the labor they put in.

What's more, they work in harsh weather conditions every day. Temperatures rarely drop below 50-60 degrees Celsius, even in the early morning. So they often have to start early, before the sun makes it too hot. It's tough work even in a more pleasant climate.

Not only that, salt mining is also a very dangerous job. Due to the rugged terrain, workers have to climb over mountains and ravines while transporting salt. Every day, workers have to walk about 2 hours to reach the salt lakes. Moving under the hot sun is not easy.

Due to limited economic conditions, the workers also did not have any professional protective equipment. They could only use bags to prevent salt from entering their nasal cavity. Their eyes often turned red because of the salt damage. This caused their vision to decrease significantly after a short time.

Their skin was corroded by the white salt.

In Africa, clean water is a scarce and precious resource. Therefore, salt miners cannot bathe to clean themselves after a day of work. This causes their dark skin to gradually turn white due to salt sticking and corroding.

After working in the salt lake for about 3 years, most of the workers' ears and eyes showed abnormal signs. Many even lost their hearing and vision. Their skin was itchy and sore, causing many skin wounds, easily leading to infection .

Although salt mining is life-threatening, many people still stick with the job for a living.