Twenty three bodies have been recovered and it is feared that more than fifty may have died following a flood at a disused gold mine in Mashonaland West Province, Zimbabwe, on Tuesday 12 February 2019. The incident happened at the Cricket Mine at Battlefields, when a retaining dam collapsed allowing water to enter a shaft in which artisanal miners (miners in the informal sector using hand tools) were working. It has not been possible for rescue teams to enter the shaft due to the floodwaters, though pumping equipment has now been brought from nearby mines to attempt to drain the site.
A rescue worker attempts to enter the Cricket Mine in Battlefields, Mashonland West, on 15 February 2019.
The entering of abandoned mines and other sites by artisanal miners is not regarded as illegal in Zimbabwe, a country plagued by high unemployment and other economic problems, and is recognised as making a significant contribution to the economy, as such miners are able to sell their product locally rather than smuggling it out to avoid the attention of local authorities, as happens in many African countries. However, the informal nature of this industry makes it extremely dangerous, as few if any health and safety precautions are taken in such mines, and their are occasional reports of armed clashes between rival groups over lucrative sites.
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