Death Toll in Zimbabwe Gold Mine Collapse Rises

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The official death toll from Zimbabwe gold mine, which witnessed deadly shaft collapse last Friday, is said to have risen to 13.

The country’s Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, while addressing a meeting of the ruling party, said that the mine disaster at the gold-rich town of Chegutu, about 100 kilometers of Harare, is feared to have resulted in loss of as many as 13 lives. A total of 34 miners are believed to have been underground at the time of the incident. Out of them, 21 were rescued. The death of 8 people has been confirmed so far, with three of them removed from the mine.

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The authorities belonging to the disaster response unit noted that lack of proper resources hindered the rescue efforts. Otherwise more lives could have been saved, they said.

The German-owned mine was not properly sealed off, which allowed access to unauthorized artisanal miners looking for leftover deposits. It must be noted that there have been several incidents of mine collapses, often involving artisanal miners, in Zimbabwe and other countries across the African continent.

In a separate incident, six people were killed in a plane crash near a diamond mine, which was previously owned by Rio Tinto.

The Zimbabwean victims of both the above disasters would be provided state-assisted funerals, said Chiwenga.