At Zimbabwe’s Redwing Mine, located 270 kilometres west of the country’s capital Harare, 11 mine workers were reported to be trapped in an underground shaft following a ground collapse on Friday, according to authorities.
According to a statement from Zimbabwe’s ministry of mines, the incident happened early on Thursday, and preliminary findings suggest that earth tremors may have caused it.
Redwing Mine’s owner, Metallon Corporation, verified the event in a different statement.
The company has deployed a rescue team to bring the trapped miners back to the surface, it added.
“The team has made several rescue attempts. However, the ground remains unstable, rendering rescue operations unsafe. Our teams are diligently assessing ground conditions to make sure the rescue operations proceed safely as soon as possible,’’ Metallon said.
Since the mine was put under corporate rescue in 2020, Redwing’s mining operations have been carried out by subsistence miners performing unapproved work.
