Story by Kenias Chivuzhe
EIGHT people have died following the collapse of an illegal mine shaft in Penhalonga, as authorities intensify efforts to recover remaining bodies and establish the full extent of the tragedy.Some of the victims have since been retrieved and taken to Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital in Mutare, while rescue teams continue to assess the site, which caved in after recent heavy rains.
Manicaland Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Advocate Misheck Mugadza, who visited the provincial hospital on Thursday, confirmed the updated death toll and warned that rescue operations remained high risk.
“This is a very unfortunate incident as the number of confirmed fatalities is now eight. Unfortunately, we still expect a few more to be trapped but deceased in the shaft. With these rains, it is unsafe to go down especially in this area, because the type of soil here. We continue urging miners to desist from mining activities, even the timbered ones. We want to console families who have lost their relatives. As government, we are going to make sure the law is enforced to stop illegal mining activities,” he said.
The incident has renewed concerns about persistent illegal mining activities in Penhalonga, where unstable ground conditions and unregulated extraction continue to pose deadly risks.
