HARARE, Oct 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Six people have died and 15 others are trapped, after a mine shaft collapsed in Zimbabwe, state media report.
The collapse of Bay Horse gold mine in Chegutu, 100km (62 miles) west of the capital Harare on Friday morning left more than 30 people trapped.
Thirteen miners are said to have escaped or been rescued.
Efforts to reach those who remain underground are ongoing, television channel ZBC reported. It is not known what caused the collapse.
Mining accidents in Zimbabwe – which sits on vast reserves of gold, platinum and diamonds – are not uncommon. Mining methods are often rudimentary and safety standards are largely disregarded.
In 2019, dozens of miners drowned after heavy rain flooded the Silver Moon and Cricket mines near the town of Kadoma in the centre of the country.
In a separate incident, a small plane owned by a mining company crashed in Zimbabwe on Friday and aviation authorities said preliminary reports indicated that all six people on board were killed.
The plane belonged to Zimbabwe’s RioZim Limited, Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe director Elijah Chingosho said. It crashed near the Murowa Diamonds mine, in southwestern Zimbabwe, which is partly owned by RioZim.
Local media reported that the plane was a Cessna small aircraft.
RioZim was previously part of the British-Australian mining group Rio Tinto but is now wholly Zimbabwe-owned. — NNN-AGENCIES
