President Emmerson Mnangagwa has declared a State of Disaster the incident in which between 60 and 70 artisanal miners are believed to have
perished after mining shafts at Cricket No 3 and Jongwe Mining Cooperative mines in Mhondoro-
Ngezi were flooded on Tuesday.

Casualties in the Battlefields mine disaster near Casualties in the Battlefields mine disaster near
Kadoma could rise to 50 from the initial 23.

Hopes of finding any of the miners alive have since faded after they were trapped underground by water
following heavy rains that pounded the area during the night.

A number of stakeholders combined their efforts yesterday and successfully pumped out water from
two interlinked tunnels, and work to retrieve the bodies is expected to start today.

In a statement yesterday, Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister July Moyo
said the number of artisanal miners who could have been trapped after shafts were flooded was estimated at between 60 and 70.

He said Government required at least $200 000 to pump out the water, feed bereaved families and teams on the ground, transportation and burial of
the victims in their respective districts.
President Mnangagwa declared the incident a State of Disaster in terms of Section 27 (1) of the Civil Protection Act, Chapter 10.06.

The Act provides that in any time it appears to the President that any disaster is of such nature and
extent that extra-ordinary measures are necessary to assist and protect the affected, he may declare a state of disaster within an area defined in the
declaration.The Herald