Bunjiwe Mkwananzi
Tongai Mashonga [email protected]
TWO miners died on Tuesday night after a block of soil collapsed on them while they were working 200m underground at Vigilant Mine in Kwekwe.
The accident occurred on 7 July 2026 at around 1900 hours, police in the Midlands Province have confirmed.
In a press statement released Wednesday, Midlands provincial community relations liaison officer, Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko, named the deceased as Busani Nyathi and Proud Maphosa, both male adults.
“Police confirm receipt of a report of a mine accident, which claimed the lives of two miners while three others managed to escape,” he said.
“The two were working underground with three others. When they were at a depth of about 200m, a block of soil collapsed from the roof of the shaft, covering the miners. Three of them safely exited the shaft and the now deceased men remained.”
Police attended the scene and retrieved the bodies.
Insp Mahoko reminded all persons involved in mining to adhere to safety guidelines provided under the Mines and Minerals Act, Chapter 21:05.
The incident is the latest in a series of mine accidents in the Midlands, where safety concerns in both formal and artisanal mining operations continue to be raised by authorities.
