via Zimbabwe Gold Miners Killed as Hoist Cage Plunges Into Water – Bloomberg. 11 June 2014 By Godfrey Marawanyika
Seven gold miners in Zimbabwe were killed when a hoist cage that was transporting them fell into a pool of water, according to the workers’ union.
Eleven others were injured in the June 9 incident at Golden Valley mine in Kadoma, 160 kilometers (99 miles) west of the capital, Harare, Tinago Ruzive, president of Associated Mine Workers Union of Zimbabwe, said by phone today.
“Their hoist cage plunged about 80 meters (262 feet) into a pool of water,” he said. “Operations at the mine have been suspended.”
In 2013, 35 people died in mining accidents in the southern African nation, which also produces diamonds, platinum and iron ore, according to the Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe. Preliminary investigations haven’t established what happened, Tapererwa Pakwavaviri, a government official and regional mine engineer, told the state-run Herald newspaper. Calls made to his mobile phone and to Golden Valley Mine’s office in Kadoma, didn’t connect today.
To contact the reporter on this story: Godfrey Marawanyika in Harare at gmarawanyika@bloomberg.net
COMMENTS
This is a regime that does not value human lives. No investigation will be carried out so this will not happen again.
Condolences to the families affected.
Very sad. A pitfall no pun intended. If your employer is a zanupf shefu
Accidents can occur anywhere at any time, sad.
Eh, actually, Mining Regulations are there to prevent this sort of thing from happening. Whether the rope snatched or the hoist brake failed, only stringent adherence to and rigid enforcement of these laws by mine operators and the mines ministry can save lives. And someone still advocates to ‘formalise’ chikorokoza as the way to go!