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Crime Reporter
An illegal miner suffocated due to exhaust fumes from a generator which he was using to search for gold at a mine in Mazowe on Sunday afternoon.

The incident occurred in Storis area at around 3pm and the victim has been identified as Tinashe Chikumba.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the incident.

“On May 29, 2022, police in Mazowe recorded a case of sudden death which occurred at the Storis area in Mazowe at around 3pm,” he said.

“Five illegal gold miners sneaked into an underground mineshaft with a generator to prospect for gold and covered the shaft with a black polyethylene plastic to avoid generator noise from being heard by the mine security.

“One of them, Tinashe Chikumba, who was operating the generator, died due to suffocation from the exhaust fumes.”

The incident comes after at least 21 illegal miners who were part of group that had raided a mine in Norton have been arrested as police also intensified their crackdown on gold panners countrywide to ensure that sanity prevails.

The illegal miners were arrested under an operation code-named ‘’Restore Sanity’’.

“On May 27, 2022, police in Norton apprehended 21 illegal gold and chrome miners at the Mutubva Chrome mining site as part of an operation code-named ‘’Restore Sanity,’’ which aims to curb cases of robberies and murders in and around Norton purportedly committed by the illegal miners,” said Asst Comm Nyathi

“Police recovered two compressor engines, a generator, a pressure pump, a water pump, a chrome safe, a windless stand, six picks, seven shovels, four hummers, and two axes during the operation.”

Gold panning activities had been on the increase countrywide, prompting police to launch various operations against them.

Several panners have since been arrested under these operations, with some being made to pay fines while others were sent to court.