Miner recounts 8 day underground ordeal after mine collapse

A 23-year-old miner who survived eight days trapped underground following a tunnel collapse at Guernsey Gold Mine says desperation drove him to the brink of eating his own feces in a bid to stay alive.

Pardon Ruvengo shared his harrowing experience yesterday after being discharged from a private hospital, where he had spent three days recovering following his dramatic rescue.

Ruvengo survived the collapse, but his colleague, Innocent Mhere, aged 21, died underground before rescuers could reach them.

His younger brother, 18-year-old Kudakwashe Junior, escaped moments before the tunnel caved in.

"I want to believe God has a reason for giving me another chance to live," Ruvengo said.

The miner said he completely lost track of time while trapped beneath the earth and struggled to distinguish between day and night.

With no access to food or clean water, he and Mhere resorted to drinking urine collected in a small container in an effort to survive.

"I watched my friend lose his life beside me," he said.

"At some point, I was about to feed on my feces to survive."

Ruvengo described experiencing vivid dreams while trapped underground, saying he repeatedly saw relatives and colleagues discussing ways to rescue him.

"It's amazing — God's grace. I believe God had a reason for rescuing me," he said.

Hospital staff reportedly celebrated his survival upon discharge, with some posing for photographs alongside him after what many described as a miraculous escape.

Back in Munorwei Village under Chief Bota in Zaka, villagers gathered at the Ruvengo family homestead as news of his survival spread.

"Everyone at the village is yet to believe that Pardon is alive," said his father, Kudakwashe Ruvengo.

He said Pardon's mother, who had been emotionally devastated by the accident, regained strength after speaking to her son during his recovery.

"As we speak, some villagers are still gathered at our homestead waiting to witness the miracle. It's God who gives life," he said.

The family said they were informed about the accident by Kudakwashe Junior, who escaped the collapsing shaft shortly before it gave way.

The teenager had reportedly joined his older brother at the mine to raise money for further education after passing his Ordinary Level examinations.

Ruvengo, the eldest child in a family of five and a member of the ZCC Mbungo Church, says he has no plans to return to mining following the ordeal.

Instead, he hopes to obtain a driver's licence and train as an earth-moving machinery operator.

"I want to thank God, my colleagues, friends, relatives, and the staff at Pacific 24-Hour Hospital for being used by the Creator for my survival," he said.

He travelled back to Zaka yesterday with his father, where villagers continued to await his return following the extraordinary rescue.