HARARE – Three artisanal miners died by suffocation at Jumbo Mine in Mazowe on Wednesday, police said.
The three men, whose ages were not given, entered the shaft together with six others but suffered a catastrophic lack of oxygen.
The miners were prospecting for gold ore.
Police spokesman Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said: “The trio suffocated to death due to underground gasses while six others managed to escape.
“Four of the survivors who escaped were taken to Concession Hospital after being affected by the gas.”
The accident is the latest reminder of the risks run by illegal gold miners, who contribute a large part of Zimbabwe’s output.
Mining accidents are a common occurrence across the country as desperate youths enter makeshift shafts and tunnels, sometimes at night, in search of gold with little concern for health and safety.
