Another mine collapsed in Kwekwe on Sunday, trapping two people underground. Efforts to rescue the trapped individuals have been ongoing but was reported to be futile. The Kwekwe District Civil Protection Unit, led by Mr Reason Machina, has been coordinating the rescue operations.
According to Mr Machina, the rescue team received a report about the incident and immediately took action.
“We received a report that at least two people were trapped underground after the mine collapsed on Sunday. Rescue efforts have been futile ever since and I am told that one of the mining giants Kuvimba Mining House has provided an excavator to help in the rescue operations,” he said.
Since Sunday, rescue teams have been tirelessly working to access the mine and locate any survivors. However, the challenging conditions and the magnitude of the collapse have hampered their progress. Mr Machina expressed his concerns about the situation.
“Since Sunday to date, chances are very slim but you never know. Our aim also is to ascertain the number of people who were underground when the disaster struck,” he said.
The collapse of Artisanal and small-scale run mines is prevalent in Zimbabwe. Recently 15 miners were trapped at Redwing mine in Penhalonga and luckilly no lives were lost. Whilst there are higher concerns of accidents happening during the rainy season, throughout the year accidents continue to be recorded. A sizable number of accidents occour at disused mines, mainly due to careless mining with zero safety measures observed or implemented. Rescuers sometimes find it difficult to assist trapped miners due to lack of basic plans on how the mines will be operating.
In 2019 Zimbabwe recorded a total of 116 accidents with these resulting in 182 fatalities. In 2021, the country recorded a decrease in both accidents and fatalities as compared to the previous year with 121 accidents and 139 fatalities. As at 30 September 2022, the country had recorded 125 accidents and 139 fatalities. Some accidents do not make the news mainly because there are based in very remote areas.