In a heartbreaking development that has shaken the mining community of Silobela, seven artisanal gold miners are feared dead after heavy rains flooded an underground shaft where they were working, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
The tragedy unfolded when torrential rainfall caused water to inundate the mining shaft, trapping the workers underground. Rescue operations, focused on the complex and time-consuming process of dewatering the mine, are underway, with local mines and community members rallying to support recovery efforts.
The incident has cast a pall over the close-knit mining community, with families and fellow miners maintaining a grim vigil at the site as emergency crews work against time. The trapped miners have yet to be recovered from the flooded underground workings, according to local authorities coordinating the response.
The rescue process currently centres on dewatering the flooded mine — a technical and hazardous operation that involves removing standing water from the low points of the mine where the miners are believed to be trapped. This process is complicated by the ongoing rainfall and the instability of the ground surrounding the mining shaft.
Local mines and community members have mobilised resources to assist in the recovery operation, providing equipment, expertise, and manpower. This community-led response highlights the close-knit nature of mining communities in the Silobela area, where mining represents both economic opportunity and constant danger.
“Dewatering can be as simple as removing standing water from a low point in the mine, but in situations involving groundwater, runoff, and seepage from nearby bodies of water, a mine can encounter a number of difficulties that will hinder or stop operations,” according to mining industry experts.
In underground mines located miles below the surface, dewatering presents particular challenges, requiring specialised pumps to remove water and transfer it to containment areas. The success of such operations depends on the volume of water, the mine’s depth, and the stability of the surrounding rock formations.
Mining Engineer Pias Ndala, who has been monitoring the rescue operations, emphasises the critical need for enhanced safety protocols in artisanal mining operations.
“This tragic event underscores the vital importance of implementing proper safety measures and emergency preparedness in all mining activities, regardless of scale,” Ndala stated.
The engineer highlighted several crucial safety considerations that could prevent similar tragedies. “First and foremost, mining operations must have comprehensive water management systems, especially during rainy seasons. This includes proper drainage infrastructure, regular monitoring of water accumulation, and immediate cessation of operations when water levels pose a danger. Furthermore, all mining sites should maintain emergency response plans that include evacuation procedures and readily available rescue equipment.”
Ndala also stressed the importance of geological assessments before commencing mining operations. “Understanding the hydrogeological conditions of a mining site is not a luxury — it is a necessity. Many of these tragic incidents could be prevented through basic geological surveys that identify potential water sources and ground stability issues. Artisanal miners need access to technical expertise and should establish cooperative safety initiatives where knowledge and resources are shared among mining communities.”
Tragically, this is not the first mining disaster to strike the Silobela region, which is rich in gold deposits and home to numerous artisanal mining operations. In February 2019, fifteen miners were successfully rescued at Peace Mine in Silobela through coordinated efforts by the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development. All miners were brought to safety without injuries or fatalities in that incident, demonstrating that with proper coordination, successful rescue operations are possible.
In a separate tragedy at Jena Mines in Silobela, one miner lost his life after a tunnel collapse last year, highlighting the persistent dangers in the region’s mining operations. Then, in June 2020, two artisanal miners were buried alive after a mine shaft collapsed at Crenjor 8 Mine in Silobela’s Kwekwe District. The victims, identified as Nkulumane Ndhlovu (24) and Julius Mabute (25), were working underground when the shaft gave way, cutting short promising young lives.
These incidents reflect a pattern of mining accidents in the region, particularly during rainy seasons when the ground becomes unstable and more prone to collapse. The recurring nature of these incidents suggests systemic safety issues that require comprehensive addressing rather than temporary solutions applied after each tragedy.
The Meteorological Services Department had previously warned miners against engaging in mining activities during periods of heavy rainfall, noting that shafts could collapse as the ground becomes unstable due to saturation. Similar seasonal patterns have been observed across Africa, where governments have taken proactive measures to address rainfall-related mining dangers.
Just months earlier, Mali’s government implemented a temporary suspension of all artisanal gold mining operations from June 15 to September 30, 2025, specifically citing safety concerns during the rainy season. A Mines Ministry spokesperson explained the rationale behind this decisive action: “The reason for this suspension is quite simply safety. We cannot stand by while preventable tragedies claim the lives of our miners year after year during the same seasonal patterns.”
During rainy seasons, artisanal mining sites become extraordinarily dangerous due to several compounding factors. Landslides and mine collapses from saturated soil dramatically increase the risk of pit wall failures, while flooding of mining pits means even moderate rainfall can quickly fill unprotected pits, trapping miners underground. Additionally, unstable ground conditions develop as water infiltration weakens supporting structures and compromises stability, and reduced visibility from rain and mud obstructs clear sightlines, increasing accident risks during operations.
Malian mining authorities documented a 37% increase in mining accidents during the previous rainy seasons, with most incidents being entirely preventable through proper timing and mining safety strategies. This statistical evidence underscores the predictable nature of these seasonal dangers and the urgent need for preemptive action rather than reactive measures after tragedies occur.
The process of dewatering a flooded mine involves more than simply removing water. As explained by mining experts, dewatering can be as simple as removing standing water from a low point in the mine, but in situations involving groundwater, runoff, and seepage from nearby bodies of water, a mine can encounter a number of difficulties that will hinder or stop operations. The current rescue operation in Silobela faces precisely these challenges, with water continuing to seep into the mine from surrounding saturated soil even as pumps work to remove existing water.
In modern mining operations, various dewatering methods are employed to manage water accumulation. Pump systems transfer water to containment areas, while settling ponds allow solids to separate from water before it is discharged or treated. Technologies like thickeners, clarifiers, and filter presses remove solids from water, and advanced systems, including hydrocyclones and in-line mixers, enable more efficient water removal from deep mining operations.
Specialised systems like the Waterlord Rapid In-pit Dewatering System, utilising flexible lay-flat hose, have proven effective in some mining operations, allowing for efficient water removal from deep pits. However, such advanced technologies are rarely available to artisanal mining operations like the one in Silobela, creating a dangerous technological gap that puts artisanal miners at significantly higher risk during flooding incidents. This disparity in access to safety technology represents one of the most pressing challenges in mining safety across the developing world.
The Silobela tragedy reflects a wider pattern of mining accidents across Africa, where artisanal mining employs millions but operates with minimal safety standards. In Sudan, just months ago, eleven miners were killed in a traditional gold mine collapse, with the Sudanese Mineral Resources Company noting they had previously suspended work at the mine and issued warnings about the life-threatening risks, yet miners returned to the dangerous site due to economic necessity.
Artisanal gold mining accounts for approximately 20% of the world’s gold supply and involves an estimated 20 million people who primarily derive their livelihoods from these operations. These miners often work in extremely dangerous conditions, facing multiple hazards including rudimentary extraction methods, minimal engineering oversight, inadequate ventilation systems, absence of protective equipment, and limited emergency response capabilities when accidents inevitably occur.
According to regional mining authorities, West African artisanal gold mining operations experience approximately 12 to 15 fatal accidents per 10,000 miners annually — a rate significantly higher than regulated industrial mining. This alarming statistic highlights the human cost of informal mining operations and underscores the urgent need for safety interventions that respect the economic importance of artisanal mining while addressing its dangerous shortcomings.
As rescue efforts continue in Silobela, the tragedy raises difficult questions about how to prevent similar incidents. The Zimbabwe Miners Federation, together with the Environmental Management Agency, has previously issued statements warning miners to be cautious when carrying out their operations, but enforcement remains challenging without viable economic alternatives for artisanal miners.
Experts suggest that a more sustainable approach involves formalising artisanal mining operations rather than simply cracking down on them. As noted in analyses of African mining challenges, the use of force against artisanal miners is not the answer. To end the cycle of violence and tragedy, governments need to adopt a more inclusive approach to artisanal mining that acknowledges both its economic importance and its safety challenges.
Engineering professional Pias Ndala emphasises that “Sustainable solutions must address both safety and economic realities. We need to develop affordable safety technologies appropriate for artisanal mining contexts and establish training programs that transfer essential safety knowledge to mining communities. Additionally, creating economic safety nets during high-risk periods like the rainy season would allow miners to pause operations without facing destitution.”
Such formalization could include simplified permitting processes for small-scale operations that bring them into the regulatory framework, safety certification and mandatory training requirements tailored to artisanal mining contexts, technical assistance programs for implementing basic safety measures using locally available materials, community-based monitoring systems to conduct regular inspections using trained local personnel, and seasonal operating protocols specifically designed for rainy season operations that establish clear safety thresholds.
As the dewatering operation continues in Silobela, families of the trapped miners maintain their vigil, hoping against diminishing odds for a miracle. The tragedy serves as a stark reminder of the human cost behind artisanal mining — an economic lifeline for thousands that too often becomes a death trap when combined with seasonal weather patterns and inadequate safety measures.
The broader mining industry now watches and waits, hoping the recovery operation can provide closure to grieving families while reinforcing the urgent need for comprehensive safety reforms in Zimbabwe’s artisanal mining sector. What remains clear is that without systemic changes that address both the economic drivers and safety challenges of artisanal mining, similar tragedies will continue to claim lives season after season, leaving behind grieving families and communities in mourning.
This is a developing story. Updates will be provided as more information becomes available about the rescue efforts and the identities of those feared dead.
