Gold Miner Plunges To Death, Authorities Worried Over Spike In Mine Accidents
A 23-year-old Kadoma miner, who was working in an underground gold mine, plunged to his death after slipping from a rope attached to a hoist that was transporting workers to the surface.
The now deceased, Aaron Pirikisi fell to his death 20 metres down a shaft at Discovery 112S mine situated at Eiffel Flats, Kadoma, last week.
Mashonaland West acting police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Ian Kohwera confirmed the incident.
He said the hoist which carries workers from underground to the surface malfunctioned, leading to the tragedy.
“The hoist took a few minutes to start moving, prompting the now deceased to disembark from the hoist cage intending to signal those operating from the surface that something was wrong,” Kohwera said.
“All of a sudden, the hoist started moving while Pirikisi was still outside the cage. Fearing that he would be left underground, Pirikisi grabbed a rope which was attached to the hoist cage with the hope to go all the way up to the surface, but he lost grip and fell into the shaft 20 metres down and died instantly.”
Pirikisi’s body was retrieved by fellow mine workers before a report was made to Eiffel Flats police.
Without giving exact figures, the police spokesperson said there was a worrisome trend signalling an increase in the occurrence of occupational mishaps at gold mines in Mashonaland West province.
Kohwera appealed to mine owners and managers to ensure strict adherence to safety standards by employees to avoid unnecessary loss of lives_NewZimbabwe.com