Mine shaft collapse traps five underground

Five employees of Task Mine Syndicate just outside Chegutu town, were on Tuesday night trapped underground after the shaft they were working in collapsed.

Chegutu district co-ordinator and Civil Protection Unit head, Mr Tariro Tomu, who visited the mine yesterday said the accident occurred around 4.30 pm when the five were extracting ore in level four, which is about 110 metres underground. Inspectors from the Ministry of Mines' Chinhoyi office rushed to the mine that evening to assess the situation.

"Rescue efforts were put on hold on Tuesday since it was dark and underground plans for the mine were not available making it risky and dangerous."

But the reports from mine inspectors showed that there were chances that the five miners would survive.

"Officials from various departments including Air Force of Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe Republic Police and artisanal mines that have knowledge of the area, are now taking turns to go underground to rescue the five under the supervision of Ministry of Mines and Mining Development inspectors," he said.

As of yesterday all artisanal miners working in other shafts in the area were asked to stop working.