A MINER died on Sunday when a shaft collapsed trapping him inside Good Hope Mine in Matopo Ward 25 under Chief Malaki Masuku.
BENSON DUBE OWN CORRESPONDENT
Khulekani Ngwenya (30) was panning for gold in the shaft when it collapsed and rescuers, comprising local villagers, began digging on Monday morning and only recovered his body after hiring an earth moving machine.
Ngwenya had arrived in the area on Tuesday last week to visit his mother.
His head was crushed by rock falls and the rescue team had to request for a blanket to wrap his body before removing it from the shaft.
Two police officers from the Matopo Police Station supervised the entire recovery effort.
A gold panner, Lizwe Phiri, who survived the accident at the mine on Saturday, said they were using an engine to pump water out of the shaft and it malfunctioned resulting in Ngwenya going down to check out the problem.
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Phiri said Ngwenya was choked by carbon monoxide from the engine. Project founder Shingi Magwaro went down the shaft to investigate.
“Shingi tied a rope around Ngwenya’s chest and he also began to choke, but somehow managed to come out,” Phiri said.
He said when Magwaro emerged, the timber box, which was supporting the shaft entrance, collapsed burying Ngwenya underground.
Good Hope Mine owner Todd Chitando said he was called by his son to urgently come to the mine and when he arrived, he was informed that a miner was trapped underground.
“l informed other villagers about the accident and phoned the police. It was at night and we could not do anything until yesterday (Monday) when the digging began,” he said.
“On Saturday, the men failed to drain water and ended up taking the engine pump down the shaft.
“On Saturday Phiri was choked, but managed to come out alive. Work stopped and resumed on Sunday.”
The father to the deceased Ndumiso Ngwenya said he had arrived at the scene at the same time the earth mover was hired and watched his son’s body being retrieved from the collapsed shaft. He said his son would be buried today in Mbondweni, Filabusi.
