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Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau

FOUR Zimbabweans died, along with three Mozambicans and a South African, when a mine shaft at a disused chrome mine collapsed on them in the Burgersfort area in Limpopo Province.

The victims died when the mine shaft filled up with water and collapsed.

Limpopo police spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said yesterday that they had opened an inquest docket following the incident, and the case was being handled by police in Driekop, outside Burgersfort.

The incident occurred last Friday in the ga-Moroga village where the suspected illegal miners had been digging for chrome.

“One South African, three Mozambicans and four Zimbabweans were allegedly busy with illegal mining activities when water was coming from heavy rains that fell in the area,” said Brig Mojapelo.

“The rain water apparently pushed the soil that blocked the only point they were using for entry and exit. As a result, they suffocated.”

Brig Mojapelo said the police were then called to the area. Upon arrival, they found that community members had already dug a hole to gain access to the miners, and had already started retrieving the bodies.

A post-mortem will soon be conducted to determine the exact cause of death for the eight men.

Limpopo police commander, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, warned community members against engaging in illegal mining.  She said such activities were unsafe and a violation of the law.

“As a province, we have established a team to deal with illegal mining activities in our area.

“The hotspots are areas along the R37 road in Sekhukhune District and many illegal miners have been arrested and mining equipment confiscated,” said Lt Gen Hadebe.

The incident comes a few months after four Zimbabweans were among 21 suspected illegal miners whose bodies were discovered in a mineshaft in Krugersdorp, Gauteng, in November last year.

They were also trapped in the same manner.