Miners must adhere to safety rules
MINING companies should follow laid down safety procedures during their operations to avoid accidents that lead to loss of lives.
The accident at Bucks Mine in Colleen Bawn, Matabeleland South on Saturday where seven miners lost their lives could have been avoided if proper safety protocols were followed.
It is said that the accident happened after hoisting ropes bringing the seven miners up a shaft snapped and plunged down 240 metres.
On Sunday, an official from the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, who preferred anonymity, hinted that the mishap could have been as a result of negligence.
“This incident can be linked to negligence because first of all seven men were not supposed to be in that cage at once because it has a low carrying capacity.
“The rope was also weak to carry the cage. The guys were riding on a one-tonne size cocopan, ingorovane, up a vertical shaft slung on a wire rope which snapped towards the surface and they were plunged with the cocopan towards the shaft bottom. Shaft has water and mud.”
Rescuers pull up the first retrieved body at Bucks Mine in Colleen Bawn Speaking at the scene of the accident on Tuesday as the rescue crew was retrieving the bodies, Mines and Mining Development Deputy Minister Polite Kambamura urged miners to adhere to safety standards in order to avoid similar accidents in future.
“It’s sad that we lost seven miners of this operation but we want to thank everyone who is here and has been making frantic efforts to rescue those who drowned underground. We’ve so far managed to retrieve five bodies; the sixth body is still underground but it will be out in the next hour.
“The seventh body is still trapped underground under a cocopan which we’re trying to move so that we can have space to get the body out. We’re confident that we’ll be able to retrieve all the seven bodies,” said Deputy Minister Kambamura.
He extended his condolences to the families and co-workers of the deceased.
“We’re so saddened as Government and want to urge the communities around to adhere to all safety standards to make sure that such accidents don’t happen in future. Currently, the department of the chief Government mining engineer is going around doing safety awareness campaigns together with the Ministry of Environment to make sure that miners adhere to safety standards and a safe working environment,” said Deputy Minister Kambamura.
Mining forms a key pillar of the economy hence it is important to always conduct operations in line with prescribed safety protocols to boost productivity while at the same time providing a safe working environment.
We commiserate with the affected families and may the souls of the seven departed miners rest in peace.