Miners killed in Zimbabwe cave-in

At least 15 people have been killed in a cave-in at an illegal gold mine in Zimbabwe, local media reported today.

The collapse happened at an abandoned mine in Mhondoro, 80 miles southwest of Harare on July 23, local newspapers said.

It took seven days for the disaster to become known because of the secrecy surrounding illegal mining.

Police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena said today that authorities were trying to verify the reports.

Rescue efforts were hampered by the risk of a further collapse, the independent Daily News and state-run Herald said.

Police and soldiers refused to enter the dangerous old mine, Noah Mucheri, a local miner, told the Daily News.

Other miners said the death toll could be much higher than 15.

One told the Daily News that some of the victims screamed for several hours before falling silent. The Herald reported that the smell of decomposing bodies was wafting from the mine.

Illegal miners commonly hack out the pillars supporting the roof in their attempts to extract all possible gold-bearing ore.

With Zimbabwe’s economy imploding and a massive hunger crisis looming, many increasingly desperate Zimbabweans have been scouring abandoned mines.