Three People Crushed to Death
10 August 2015
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THREE gold panners were crushed to death at Geelong Mine in West Nicholson while the fourth one was seriously injured during an ill-fated search for gold in a 400 metre deep mineshaft. The bodies of the three men were retrieved yesterday at around 11AM following their death around midnight on Saturday.

Crush horror  ..
Crush horror ..
Three of the victims were brothers; two who died Bonnet Phiri, 39 and Milton, 35 and the only survivor Willard, 41, who suffered neck, chest and leg injuries and was admitted to Gwanda Provincial Hospital following the tragic incident. The brothers’ colleague Kenvas Muyambo, 30, is the third fatality.
All the four illegal gold miners hail from Mavago area, Filabusi under Chief Maduna.
Daram Ncube, who was employed at the mine before it was closed told The Chronicle that a rock fell on the four as they were underground.
“They were panning illegally in a disused mine around midnight when the mishap occurred. One of the four miners who survived managed to notify others and he was rescued during the wee hours of yesterday (Sunday) morning. He was complaining of chest, leg and neck injuries and he was rushed to Gwanda hospital,” said Ncube.
He said the mine was closed last year by the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development but some gold panners were mining there illegally.
“We reported the incident to the police but they told us they had no authority to instruct ministry officials to retrieve the bodies. Officials from the ministry didn’t turn up so omakorokoza decided to retrieve the bodies themselves,” said Ncube.
He said the illegal gold miners’ relatives turned up to collect the bodies.
Those who witnessed the bodies being retrieved said it was a ghastly sight as the illegal miners were severely crushed.
“One of the bodies was in a bad state. We had to put the remains in a 50 kilogramme sack. We assume that he was standing when the rock fell and it hit him hard from the head and his whole body was crushed. We had to pick up the intestines as well, that’s how bad it was,” said the witness who preferred anonymity.
There was a hive of activity amidst the confusion and grief as the gold panners were moving bags of ore from the mine yesterday. The panners said they were employed by Geelong Mine two years ago, but claimed that there was an ownership dispute that saw the operation being closed. The closure saw some people carrying out illegal mining activity.
An employee at the closed mine, Malachi Sigogo, said police had given all illegal miners and everyone at the mine’s compound 48 hours to vacate the area.
Sigogo said it was unfair that they have been given an ultimatum by the police as they were still employed officially by the mine owners.
“We’re now being treated as criminals yet all along the police knew that we’re here awaiting the re-opening of the mine. Where will we go at such a short notice? We come from different parts of the country and we’re appealing to responsible authorities to save us,” said Sigogo.
The stranded families have already started packing their bags to move out of the compound but most of them said they did not have bus fare to go to their rural homes.
Matabeleland South police spokesperson Inspector Philisani Ndebele could not be reached for comment.