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In a heartbreaking mining accident that underscores the ever-present dangers of the industry, three people, including the wife of one of the miners, are trapped after a shaft collapse at Hebenia Mine in Filabusi on the morning of 17 January 2026, casting a pall over the community, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has confirmed the accident, stating that rescue efforts are underway for the three victims trapped in the approximately 11-metre-deep shaft. The tragedy has taken a particularly emotional turn with the confirmation that one of those trapped was not an underground worker but a miner’s wife who was at the surface.
According to the police report and local accounts, the accident unfolded with terrifying speed. Two miners were working inside the shaft when the ground gave way. Above them, the wife of one of the miners was outside the shaft entrance, preparing a meal.
Witnesses report that she noticed the ground moving and, in a moment of panic and concern for her husband, rushed toward the shaft opening. It was at that moment that the collapse fully occurred, tragically ensnaring her as well. All three were buried by the fall of ground and remain trapped.
The community of Filabusi has been left in shock, with the inclusion of the miner’s wife amplifying the sense of tragedy. “It is a devastating situation. Her instinct was to help, and now she is caught in this danger too. Our hearts are with the families,” said a local community leader who asked not to be named.
The ZRP, along with mine officials and local emergency teams, is coordinating the rescue operation. The instability of the collapsed ground is understood to be a major challenge, as rescue teams work carefully to avoid causing further subsidence.
When contacted for comment, officials from the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development recalled the stark warnings issued just weeks prior. In early December, the Ministry had publicly implored all miners to exercise extreme caution during the rainy season, specifically highlighting the risks of “weakened ground leading to falls and ground subsidence.”
This accident appears to be a grim example of the very hazards the Ministry warned against. The current rainy season saturates soils, dramatically increasing the risk of collapses in both formal and informal mining operations.
In its December statement, the Ministry had urged miners to carry out “thorough risk assessments before miners get into underground shafts” and to stop work entirely if risks were present. “Let us remember that human life is by far worth more than any mineral, so let’s preserve it.”
As rescue teams in Filabusi fight against time and unstable earth, that message resonates with painful clarity. The nation now waits, hoping for a miracle for the three souls trapped deep in the Hebenia Mine.
