By A Correspondent- All the seven bodies of the miners who had been trapped at Bux Mine in Gwanda have been retrieved.

It’s reported that the miners got trapped on Saturday in the 240-metre deep shaft.

The first body was retrieved on Tuesday morning. 

Speaking after the retrieval of the bodies, Cleopas Karima, the rescue team captain said the situation is not pleasant. He said:

It is a hard situation. Look the bodies have been in the water for a long time and the smell may not be pleasant and the sight of blood and flesh in the water, but there is nothing you can do. It is your job to rescue people.

After the retrieval of all the bodies, safety at mines is now the major talking point.

Philemon Mokoeli, Zimbabwe Miners Federation Secretary-General said:

It is unfortunate that most of the miners take safety issues for granted, and when we call meetings or workshops to teach them these things they don’t cooperate. We need to do more. We have been having these cases in the province, we have engaged the School of Mines to train miners on safety.

Preliminary results from the investigations into the accident that claimed the lives of the seven reveal an oversight on safety issues by the mine owners. Chief government mining engineer, Michael Munodawafa said:

In terms of the law, the equipment they are using should be commissioned by the chief government mining engineer and that did not happen because if it had happened, I would not have accepted a situation where they use the 8mm rope on a cork pan. 

Polite Kambamura, the Deputy Minister of Mines and Mineral Development said the incident is saddening and unfortunate.

Kambamura urged the community around to adhere to all safety standards to make sure that such things won’t happen in future.

Meanwhile, the police are still verifying the deceased’s identities.-statemedia