Three miners died on Friday when a shaft collapsed at an artisanal gold mine near Chegutu, about 120 km west of Harare, state television ZBC reported on Saturday, reporting a total of 21 “alleged” miners buried under rubble be.
“Three bodies have been recovered from the collapsed Bay Horse mine in Chegutu,” ZBC reported on its website, citing Deputy Mines Minister Polite Kambamura.
“A total of 21 artisanal miners are believed to be buried under the rubble of the mine, one of which collapsed yesterday,” the ZBC said.
The bodies of the three victims were found under rocks during the rescue operation “led by the government with the help of small-scale miners,” state television said.
The subsoil of this southern African country contains numerous minerals, including platinum, diamonds, gold, coal and copper. Due to massive unemployment, many men survive by working in abandoned mines or illegally entering mines that are still in operation.
Accidents occur frequently.
In February 2019, at least 24 illegal miners were killed at the bottom of abandoned and flooded wells following storms in central Zimbabwe. And in May 2019, at least nine more people were killed in explosions at a gold mine in Mazowe (north).