Two bodies still to be retrieved from Battlefields mine shafts

Nozipho Rutsate, Sunday News Reporter

THE Government still thinks there are two more bodies that have to be retrieved from mining shafts at Cricket No 3 and Jongwe Mining Co-operative mines in Battlefields, Kadoma where the number of bodies recovered from now stands at 26.

Mines and Mining Development Deputy Minister of Polite Kambamura, said two bodies  were retrieved recently and there teams working on the mine have noted that there could still be two more bodies in the shafts.

“Through continuous efforts, we managed to retrieve two more bodies in the mines and we still believe there are two more bodies trapped underground,” said Deputy Minister Kambamura.

He said that challenge in retrieving the miners was due to the nature of the shafts as they are meandering.

“We had to rely on the mine owners to get underground as they know all the ins-and-out and how to maneuver inside the narrow shafts with tunnels that stretch up to 100 metres.”

“Efforts to pump out water from the shafts are still ongoing at the mines until all bodies are recovered,” he said.

Eight miners were retrieved alive from the shafts after they were flooded following the collapse of a dam wall due to excessive rains received in the area.