Harare - Seven miners plunged to their death in a gold mine in Zimbabwe and more were injured when an elevator transporting the workers snapped, a union official said Wednesday, citing media reports.
“Seven miners are said to have died and 11 survived,” Tinago Ruzive, president of the Associated Mine Workers Union of Zimbabwe told AFP by telephone.
The seven drowned when the cage sank in a flooded shaft hundreds of metres below the surface on Monday night, according to local media reports.
Eleven others were rescued shortly afterwards from the locally-owned Golden Valley Mine in the central town of Kadoma, 145 kilometres (90 miles) south-west of the capital Harare.
Doug Verden, senior executive with the Zimbabwe Chamber of Mines, told AFP he was still waiting for a report from the mine.
“According to the media reports seven people unfortunately died and several others were injured in a shaft accident. I don't have any other information,” he said.
The mineworkers association has dispatched its officials to the mine and will give full details on Thursday.
Police were not immediately available for comment.
Sapa-AFP