Three artisanal miners were killed after a 20-metre-deep mining shaft collapsed on them at Plot 55 Premier Central in Mutare on Monday afternoon.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police said the accident occurred at about 4.30pm on August 24 while the miners were working underground.

"Three artisanal miners were killed when a mining shaft, approximately 20 metres deep, collapsed while they were working inside it," police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi said in a statement.

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The latest deaths add to a growing toll of fatalities in Zimbabwe's artisanal and small-scale mining sector, where shaft collapses, falls and other unsafe mining practices remain a major concern.

Government figures show that 64 people were killed in artisanal and small-scale mining accidents during the first quarter of 2026 alone. Ground collapses accounted for 54% of those deaths, while falls into abandoned or unprotected shafts, explosives, gases, electrocution and equipment-related incidents accounted for the remainder.

The government has been pushing to formalise the sector through training, licensing, improved technical support and tighter safety enforcement.

About 600,000 artisanal and small-scale miners are targeted for training and licensing under the programme, with authorities seeking to link mining operations to formal training and safer practices.

The formalisation drive is also aimed at bringing a sector that accounts for more than 60% of Zimbabwe's official gold deliveries into the regulated economy while improving safety, environmental compliance and productivity.