Tragedy struck on Wednesday afternoon when three chrome miners lost their lives in a fatal accident at Mapinga. The miners reportedly died from inhaling toxic gases, believed to be carbon monoxide, after bringing a generator underground to power their mining equipment.
Initial reports indicate that the miners used the generator to supply power to a jackhammer, unaware that the exhaust emissions would build up in the confined space, leading to a dangerous accumulation of lethal gases that caused suffocation.
Authorities and eyewitness accounts suggest that while provincial police spokesperson Inspector Ian Kahwera had not yet received a formal report, an officer present at the scene confirmed that the bodies were recovered around 6 PM, approximately two hours after the incident. The identities of the deceased miners have not been released.
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A heartbreaking video circulating on social media features a relative of one of the victims recounting his distressing discovery. The man, alerted by the mining operation’s sponsor who couldn’t reach the workers, arrived at the site and called out to the miners, but received no response. Although he noticed the glow of their headlamps inside the mine, he became increasingly worried.
When he entered the mine, he was met with the tragic sight of his uncle and two other miners lying lifeless. He then ventured deeper into the shaft, hoping to find more survivors, but was soon overwhelmed by the strong smell of carbon monoxide. Alarmed, he contacted the mine sponsor and rushed to the local police station to report the tragedy.
The police, along with officials from the Ministry of Mines, responded quickly to the distress call and arrived at the scene to retrieve the bodies from the hazardous conditions of the mine.
