adminWalter Nyamukondiwa Mashonaland West Bureau
THE last two weeks have been hectic for Mashonaland West province which has had to contend with a series of serious disasters such as the collapse of a mine shaft at Eldorado Mine, an explosion at GMB Lion’s Den depot and fatal road accidents.
The disasters have exposed the dire state of disaster preparedness as rescue services were found wanting.
At least 40 lives were lost within a space of two weeks in which the province experienced one major disaster after another.
Rescue services were stretched to the limit of their constrained elasticity, compromising chances of saving lives, limiting the extent of damage and injuries.
On August 20, the province woke up to news that a shaft at Eldorado Mine had collapsed, trapping 12 artisanal miners.
About eight days later while the province was grappling with removing bodies of those trapped in the shaft, disaster struck once more when an explosion rocked the Grain Marketing Board Lion’s Den depot.
At least four GMB workers died on the spot, while one of three people injured in the explosion died at the hospital, bringing the death toll to five.
Another person is yet to be accounted for as the search continues.
Hardly three days later, the province plunged into mourning when a Bulawayo-bound Chawasarira bus collided head-on with a commuter omnibus near the 152-kilometre peg, near Muzvezve River, along the Harare-Bulawayo Road.
All the 13 people on kombi died on the spot.
Civil Protection Unit national director Mr Nathan Nkomo said it was disturbing that such disasters were occurring in the province.
“We are a bit disturbed that Mashonaland West province is now like an arena of disasters at this stage,” he said. “We have the Eldorado Mine disaster, the GMB Lion’s Den disaster and now the Muzvezve commuter omnibus disaster.
“As the authority, we are taking measures to ensure the safety of our people and soon we will be making recommendations to the new minister to take to Cabinet so that we do not continue to lose lives.”
In the Eldorado Mine disaster, official rescue teams had to be outsourced from outside Chinhoyi and as far as Mashonaland Central to assess the situation that occurred about 400 metres underground.
Provincial administrator Mrs Cecilia Chitiyo said more needs to be done to capacitate local authorities to be able to provide emergency services in times of disaster.
Teams from Trojan Mine in Bindura and Aysher Mine in Mutorashanga had to be called in to assist, while artisanal miners threw caution to the wind to venture where professionals feared.
“We have seen many disasters occurring in the province of late and our rescue and disaster responses were at times found wanting, particularly for our local authorities,” said Mrs Chitiyo.
Fire tenders had to be called in from Chegutu and Ngezi about four hours after the fire and explosion that broke out at GMB Lion’s Den, as the fire tenders from Chinhoyi Municipality, only 22kms away were down.
Chinhoyi Municipality spokesperson Mr Tichaona Mlauzi said their fire tender had gearbox challenges.
“We have not been able to provide assistance in all the major disasters that have happened around Chinhoyi because we do now have a functional fire tender,” he said.
“The one we have needs a new gearbox component which we have not been able to get locally and outside. A fire tender has been donated by Mr Peter Lobel, but we are yet to raise freight and clearing charges to bring it into the country.”
At least $39 000 is needed to bring in the fire tender.
Most local authorities and mines have been struggling to acquire and maintain fire tenders and other rescue equipment.
On road accidents, former Transport and Infrastructure Development Parliamentary Portfolio Committee chairperson Cde Dexter Nduna said tollgates should have stabilisation centres to render critical assistance after an accident.
“At least 70 percent of our people die because they have not reached definitive health care systems after an accident,” he said. “They die because they have not reached an accident victims stabilisation centre on time.
“We continue to call for the establishment of stabilisation centres at all tollgates. The Kadoma disaster occurred a kilometre away from a tollgate. Some lives could have been saved if someone had been stabilised before being taken to a health centre.”
The disasters have shown how exposed the province is in the event of major disasters occurring in a development, which calls for proactive measures by local authorities, mines and Government.
Online Reporter