admin
7th January 2024
Zimbabwe
By Darlington Gatsi
The 15 artisanal miners who were trapped underground after a shaft collapsed at Redwing mine, Penhalonga have been retrieved alive following a successful rescue operation.
The miners were trapped Thursday when a shaft they were working under collapsed due to a suspected earth tremor.
Rescue efforts started Saturday after being halted due to unstable ground.
Minister of Mines Soda Zhemu confirmed that 15 miners are alive.
“We want to thank that miners who were trapped underground have started coming out which is a good sign that the rescue efforts are bearing fruits. Those whom we have asked confirmed that 15 will come out and they have been alive all these days,” said Zhemu.
Since Thursday families of the trapped miners have been camped at the Penhalonga mine waiting for the rescue of their relatives.
The Redwing Mine disaster is the latest incident in recent months after the Bayhorse mine collapse in Chegutu in October last year.
Driven by economic hardship and attracted by potential riches, informal miners have flocked to Redwing, scraping a living in the mine.
