An illegal gold miner, Dolphin Moyo, was tragically crushed to death in a collapsed shaft. The 32-year-old was trapped beneath a cascade of boulders in the disused Jacaranda area mine, while his companion, Michael Sibanda, narrowly escaped with his life.
The desperate recovery operation, which relied on rudimentary tools like chisels and hammers, finally concluded on Wednesday evening.
The rescue was a painstaking and gruesome task. One witness described how Moyo’s skull had been crushed and some of his limbs severed from his body by the force of the collapse. The volunteers were forced to meticulously sift through the rubble, collecting loose body parts into small sacks. The main torso was placed in a larger sack, a sombre and heartbreaking task for the community members.
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His wife, Ms Una Katsaruware, who was present at the scene with their two-week-old baby, was left utterly devastated. She revealed the tragedy was almost compounded, stating,
“I almost suffered a double loss because soon after the incident my two week old baby fell unconscious and was rushed to the Gwanda Provincial Hospital and resuscitated through oxygen system.”
Illegal Gold Miner Crushed In Gwanda Mine Collapse
The man who shared Moyo’s final moments, Michael Sibanda, recounted the terrifying incident that claimed his friend’s life. He explained that it was their first time working in that particular shaft, a decision that would prove fatal. The event has left him deeply shaken.
“I had known Dolphin for about two years and we had done a lot of mining jobs together,” Sibanda shared. “While we were working I suddenly felt the shaft shaking and I alerted him. I rushed to one end and the side where my mate was standing collapsed and he was buried under the boulders. I quickly rushed to the nearest police base.”
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Confirming the details, Matabeleland South provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Chiratidzo Dube, provided the official account.
“I can confirm that we recorded a mine accident where an illegal miner died after a shaft he was working in collapsed. Dolphin Moyo and Michael Sibanda were working in a shaft in Jacaranda area on 20 October at around 4PM,” she said. “Sibanda noticed that the shaft was unstable and alerted the now deceased and they decided to stop. The shaft immediately collapsed and Sibanda was able to escape but Moyo was buried by boulders. The body of the now deceased was retrieved two days later.”
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The post Illegal Gold Miner Crushed In Gwanda Mine Collapse appeared first on iHarare News.
