Families of five miners who are trapped underground say they are happy with current rescue progress at the Chegutu mine.
Speaking to Mining Zimbabwe a family representative at the mine said rescuers suspect they are close due to movement of flies into the ground.
“They are really working. Yesterday they were building a box but now they removing rubbles (Mbara) there is good progress”
“The rescue team came out around 11:30 suspecting that they are very close because of the movement of flies into the ground and the smell. A new team went in around 5 am today. We are hoping to get results today with God’s favour or any time soon” the representative said.
A shaft at Task Mining Syndicate 12km from Chegutu along the Chinhoyi highway collapsed trapping five miners 41 days ago. Five days ago rescuers at the mine have found a helmet, converse red shoes and gloves underground.
Although it is now highly unlikely the “Task Five” will be found alive, hopes of retrieving their remains are now high.
Constantino Dzinoreva (47), Charles Mutume (31), Shingai Gwatidzo (20) and brothers Crynos Nyamukanga (44) Munashe Christian (17) have been trapped underground since the 8th of September 2020. Shingai and Munashe are form four students who were only conducting mining part-time awaiting the re-opening of schools which were shut due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Zimbabwe biggest mining body, the Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) leadership paid a visit last week to ascertain rescue progress. ZMF has for a long time appealed to the government for help in mechanising small-scale mining operations to reduce mining accidents.