Thirty Gold Miners Trapped Underground
November 30, 20
(IDEX Online) - Dozens of gold miners are feared dead following the collapse of a disused deposit in Zimbabwe.
Efforts are still being made to rescue around 30 miners trapped underground at the Ram mine, Bindura, about 70km north of the capital Harare. Six men have so far emerged alive since the disaster on Wednesday.
It follows two other mine collapses in the country in recent weeks. An unknown number of miners remain trapped underground at a mine in Esigodini. It collapse two weeks ago and the government has abandoned its rescue mission, blaming unfavorable conditions.
In September five miners died at an underground mine in Chegutu after they were also trapped after a collapse.
Artisanal miner routinely risk their lives working abandoned or closed mines without the expertise to ensure pillars remain intact. That's compounded by corrupt inspectors and rainfall weakening the soil.
A government inquiry released last week into mine safety concluded that many of the country's mines were death traps, with scant regard for health and safety issues, poor emergency procedures, a lack of safety equipment and dangerous storage of explosives.
Generic pic of artisanal gold miners