Police in Zimbabwe have confirmed that seven artisanal miners were killed when a disused gold shaft collapsed last weekend.

On Monday, police in Zimbabwe reported that seven artisanal miners were killed when a disused gold shaft collapsed over the weekend. The incident occurred on Saturday in Bindura, located approximately 85 kilometers (53 miles) north of Harare, though specific details regarding the collapse remain scarce.

Police issued a warning about illegal mining activities, urging the public to refrain from conducting operations at illegal shafts or abandoned mine sites. The country, rich in natural resources such as platinum, diamonds, gold, coal, and copper, faces widespread illegal mining due to the struggling economy. This practice often occurs in hazardous conditions.

Recent heavy rains have worsened the situation, making the ground unstable and more prone to collapse, according to the police. The victims, aged between 20 and 34, have been partially identified, with the next of kin still being sought for two of them. While the police have not confirmed the number of people in the mine at the time of the collapse, other miners at the scene reported that 15 people had been trapped.

This tragic incident follows a similar accident in September 2023, when nine people died after a mine collapse in Chegutu, located about 120 kilometers west of Harare. Furthermore, the collapse in Zimbabwe occurred shortly after 87 bodies were recovered from an illegal mining operation in neighboring South Africa.