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Crime Reporter
Six miners died yesterday after they were trapped in a tunnel at Lilian Mine in Inyathi, Matabeleland North province.
The six were part of 14 miners who were working in the mine.
Investigations revealed that the drillers which were being used hit underground water which then flooded the mine tunnels resulting in the six being trapped.
The other eight escaped unhurt.
In a statement, national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the incident.
“The ZRP confirms a sad incident where six people died at Lilian Mine, Inyathi, Matabeleland North Province on August 3, 2023. “14 miners who were extracting gold ore were trapped when drillers hit the underground water which then flooded the mine tunnels. Eight miners managed to escape. The victims’ bodies have since been retrieved,” he said.
In September 2022 two people died and three were injured after a mine shaft collapsed at Lilian mine in Inyathi Matabeleland North.
By then, Matabeleland North police spokesperson Inspector Glory Banda confirmed the incident.
“The incident occurred on the 18th of September, it occurred around 3 O’clock, a rock fell from a height of about 130 meters, so as it rolled down it trapped about six people, two of them died on the spot and out of the remaining that were still alive then, only three were injured,” said Inspector Banda.
The bodies were transferred to a mortuary in Bulawayo for post-mortem.
The mine manager, Lazarus Dowi was also quoted saying the employees had only been working in the mine for three days.
Online Reporter