The death toll in a collapsed gold mine in Zimbabwe expected to rise to 13, vice president says

By FARAI MUTSAKA
Associated Press

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe’s vice president says the death toll from a shaft collapse at a disused gold mine could rise to 13. The collapse happened on Friday in the gold-rich town of Chegutu, about 60 miles west of the capital, Harare. State-run newspaper The Sunday Mail quoted Vice President Constantino Chiwenga as saying that 21 out of 34 miners believed to be underground had been rescued. Chiwenga said eight have been confirmed dead, with three bodies removed from the mine and five located but not yet removed. The remaining five people are presumed dead. He said the collapse happened at a disused German-owned mine that had not been properly sealed off, allowing unofficial artisanal miners to find their way in to search for any deposits left over.