The Sunday News
Whinsley Masara, Sunday News Correspondent
A MINER in Esigodini in Matabeleland South died last week after he drowned in a pool of water inside a mine shaft.
Nhlalo Ndlovu (20) of Maidas Mine, Ntabenende area is suspected to have suffocated from gases that were produced by a water pump before he fell into a pool of water where he drowned. The incident occurred at around 10 am on Tuesday and a rescue team managed to retrieve the body at around 3pm.
Matabeleland South provincial police spokesperson Chief Inspector Philisani Ndebele confirmed the incident.
“I can confirm the sudden death of a miner who died in an effort to drain water from a mine shaft using a water pump. The now deceased went down the shaft while other miners remained outside.
“They switched on a water pump and shoved it down the shaft to drain the water. After a while, the now deceased began to suffocate from the gases that were released by the water pump and he called out to his colleagues for help. Three others went down the shaft and once inside, they too complained of suffocating,” he said.
Chief Insp Ndebele said the miners called out for help.
“A rescue team came and rescued those three and apparently, the first victim had already become too weak, fallen into the water and drowned. They drained all the water and only managed to retrieve the body at around 3pm,” he said.
The body was taken to Esigodini District Hospital mortuary for post mortem while the three others received treatment at the hospital.
