Zimbabwe: at least 40 miners trapped underground after mine collapse

Rescuers are working to help 40 miners trapped after a mine collapsed on November 27, 2020, in Zimbabwe.

Jekesai NJIKIZANA AFP

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

Relief operations continue in Zimbabwe after a gold mine collapsed Wednesday night in Bindura.

At least 40 illegal miners are trapped and the chances of finding them alive are dwindling.

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A crane truck and a local rescue team continue to work on the site of the Ran gold mine in Bindura, north-eastern

, watched by hundreds of residents, relatives and families of the minors.

The site collapsed Wednesday night and only six people have been rescued since the mine collapsed.

Miners trapped underground exploited this disused site illegally.

The collapse would be due to the explosion by the miners of several pillars of the well, according to a relief official contacted by AFP.

The site is said to be partly flooded, which reinforces the pessimism about the chances of finding survivors.

The situation is so critical that, according to an on-site journalist, funeral directors have set up their tents near the scene of the accident.

Collapses of this type are common in Zimbabwe, a country that abounds in underground resources - gold, diamonds, platinum, coal, copper in particular.

Especially since mining represents a

.

Gold, for example, accounts for 60% of its exports and 10% of jobs.

And due to mass unemployment, many workers continue to descend into officially closed sites, or illegally enter still-operated mines.

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• Zimbabwe

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