News / National
Mine shafts collapse, two illegal miners die
18 Jun 2018 at 21:54hrs | Views
Two 37-year-old artisanal miners died in separate incidents in Mashonaland Central province last week police has confirmed.
Mashonaland Central acting police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Petros Masikati confirmed that Mududuzi Sithole's body is currently trapped at Stories Farm in Mazowe after a mine shaft collapsed.
"Two panners Mududuzi Sithole and his friend Manhla Sibanda (41) were practising some illegal gold mining and the shaft collapsed but Sibanda managed to escape and informed other panners who tried to rescue the deceased to no avail before filing a police report at Mazowe police station," said Masikati.
The Ministry of mines and a rescue team from Mazowe gold mine is stil making frantic efforts to retrieve the body.
In a related case Aleck Muchemwa (37) and his brother Edmore Muchemwa 40 all from Chiwaridzo Bindura went for illegal mining at Garati gold claim on Saturday where Aleck was trapped in a six metre collapsed shaft.
"Aleck and his brother were practising illegal mining at Garati gold claim and he got into a six metre shaft which collapsed while his brother was outside and his body has since been retrieved," he said.
However, Masikati said fatal incidents involving artisanal miners are on the increase in Mash Central and has implored the Ministry of mines to assist them in practising safe mining to curb unnecessary life loss.
"Fatal cases involving artisanal miners are on the increase and we implore the Ministry of Mines to help these miners in practising safe mining so as to save unnecessary loss of life."
Mashonaland Central acting police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Petros Masikati confirmed that Mududuzi Sithole's body is currently trapped at Stories Farm in Mazowe after a mine shaft collapsed.
"Two panners Mududuzi Sithole and his friend Manhla Sibanda (41) were practising some illegal gold mining and the shaft collapsed but Sibanda managed to escape and informed other panners who tried to rescue the deceased to no avail before filing a police report at Mazowe police station," said Masikati.
In a related case Aleck Muchemwa (37) and his brother Edmore Muchemwa 40 all from Chiwaridzo Bindura went for illegal mining at Garati gold claim on Saturday where Aleck was trapped in a six metre collapsed shaft.
"Aleck and his brother were practising illegal mining at Garati gold claim and he got into a six metre shaft which collapsed while his brother was outside and his body has since been retrieved," he said.
However, Masikati said fatal incidents involving artisanal miners are on the increase in Mash Central and has implored the Ministry of mines to assist them in practising safe mining to curb unnecessary life loss.
"Fatal cases involving artisanal miners are on the increase and we implore the Ministry of Mines to help these miners in practising safe mining so as to save unnecessary loss of life."
Source - Byo24News
