Illegal miner dies, four escape as mine shaft caves in

ONE illegal miner died while four of his colleagues escaped unhurt when a mine shaft they were digging for gold caved in at Sunace Mine in Umguza District last Thursday.

The 17-year-old illegal miner, identified by his colleagues to Sunace Mine authorities as Luckymore Sibanda, was unlucky after a large rock fell on him while the four other omakorokoza dashed to safety.

On Tuesday morning, the Chronicle visited the mine, a registered entity run by a company known as DG One, where illegal miners have been causing havoc for years by engaging in illegal mining activities at night.
“They come in groups at night and sneak into disused mine shafts where they dig for gold. In the morning they drag bags of gold ore for processing at milling sites in the area.
“Last Thursday, four of the omakorokoza came to report that their friend had been trapped in a shaft and that they feared he had been crushed to death by a falling rock,” said Sunace Mine security supervisor Mr Muzikababa Makwelo.

The mine shaft where the accident occurred has not been operational for over 30 years, according to Mr Makwelo.
“The shaft is one of the several disused mine shafts that were left behind by a German company over 30 years ago,” he said.
The family of the trapped miner was notified and they visited Sunace Mine on Sunday.
“The police were also notified”.