News / Regional
Gold miner dies after suffocating in a 22 meter shaft
12 Dec 2014 at 06:39hrs | Views
A GOLD miner suffocated in a shaft at McLaren Mine in Umzingwane District after inhaling smoke from a fire that had been made to break a rock about 22 metres underground.
Muzondiwa Phiri, 49, from Sibomvu in Mzinyathini, was with 13 colleagues when the tragic incident occurred at the mining area near Inyankuni Dam in Esigodini on Tuesday afternoon.
Phiri, who had made the fire underground, reportedly went into the mine shaft with Tinashe Magumba, 20, to check if the rock had cracked as the crew searched for the precious metal.
The gold miners were working under Gas and McLaren Mining Syndicate. Phiri died a few minutes after inhaling smoke in the shaft, which according to his syndicates, was not ventilated to allow smoke out.
His cry for help yielded no results as his colleagues were afraid to face the same ordeal. In the end he died a painful death. His body was retried by police after informing the Mines ministry and his family and taken to Esigodini Hospital Mortuary.
Most of the gold miners in the area left the mine hastily saying Phiri's death was a bad omen.
Muzondiwa Phiri, 49, from Sibomvu in Mzinyathini, was with 13 colleagues when the tragic incident occurred at the mining area near Inyankuni Dam in Esigodini on Tuesday afternoon.
Phiri, who had made the fire underground, reportedly went into the mine shaft with Tinashe Magumba, 20, to check if the rock had cracked as the crew searched for the precious metal.
The gold miners were working under Gas and McLaren Mining Syndicate. Phiri died a few minutes after inhaling smoke in the shaft, which according to his syndicates, was not ventilated to allow smoke out.
His cry for help yielded no results as his colleagues were afraid to face the same ordeal. In the end he died a painful death. His body was retried by police after informing the Mines ministry and his family and taken to Esigodini Hospital Mortuary.
Most of the gold miners in the area left the mine hastily saying Phiri's death was a bad omen.
Source - Chronicle
