A total of 75 miners were rescued Tuesday afternoon after a conveyor belt collapsed at the Mimosa platinum mine in Zvishavane.
A statement from the company said "a fire occurred at the jointly owned Mimosa operation in Zimbabwe during the night. This was caused when the conveyor belt in the main decline ignited. The fire has been contained."
The mine owned by Implats and Aquarius Platinum said "all employees have been accounted for and no injuries have been reported. The majority of the workforce was evacuated following the incident."
Initially 75 employees were accommodated in refuge bays due to low visibility and rescue operations conducted the whole of Tuesday afternoon led to their being brought to the surface. The trapped miners received food and water during the day.
On the 6th June 1972, Zimbabwe, then called Rhodesia, witnessed its worst mining disaster when an underground explosion occurred in the Wankie (now Hwange) Number 2 Colliery. Over 427 miners lost their lives. The tragedy is commemorated yearly by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU).
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