Around 50 People Could Be Killed In Mine Shaft Flood In Zimbabwe - Reports

Around 50 illegal gold miners may have died in two interlinked Zimbabwe mines when a dam wall collapsed due to heavy rains in the area and flooded the shafts, local media reported

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th February, 2019) Around 50 illegal gold miners may have died in two interlinked Zimbabwe mines when a dam wall collapsed due to heavy rains in the area and flooded the shafts, local media reported.

The dam wall collapsed on Tuesday night and flooded two mines in the country's Mashonaland West province. It was reported earlier that the incident caused deaths of 23 miners.

According to Mhondoro-Ngezi District Administrator Fortunate Muzulu, the miners had entered the mine at night without the knowledge of the mine owners.

The Zimbabwe Herald newspaper reported, citing Zimbabwean Local Government, Public Works and National Housing minister July Moyo, that 60-70 miners could have been trapped after shafts were flooded, adding that local emergency services were trying to pump out water from the mines to allow rescuers to continue recovering bodies.