Two of six gold panners trapped last week in a disused mine 20km west of Gwanda Mine are feared dead though police managed to rescue four of them on Tuesday morning.

Reports from Antenior Mine say the six panners were trapped 300 metres under the shaft since last Friday.

The six are said to have entered a shaft known by the panners as the "kitchen" when the mine collapsed.

Matabeleland South provincial police spokesman Inspector Tafanana Dzirutwe said attempts to rescue the miners had been going on since last Friday and four had been rescued.

"The panners were taken to Gwanda Provincial Hospital where their condition is reported to be stable. We rescued four of the victims early on Tuesday morning and the search for the other two would continue and it is not clear whether they are still alive or not," he said.

He said the rescue mission was being done in collaboration with Civil Protection Unit officials.

Information at hand indicates the panners were employed by a man only identified as Siduli from Gwanda. Antenior Mine was owned by a Mr Douglas Starling before Siduli moved in.

Insp Dzirutwe discouraged people from entering disused mines as they risked being killed.

"We have received a number of reports of people being trapped in disused mine shafts and we would like to urge members of the public to desist from such activities as they risk their lives and prosecution," he said.