Tragedy at Jumbo Mine: Three Dead in Mazowe Shaft ...

Tragedy at Jumbo Mine: Three Dead in Mazowe Shaft Fall

Zim Now writer

Three mine workers lost their lives in a tragic accident at Starlake Claim, Jumbo Mine in Mazowe on Wednesday, April 17, 2025, after a rope on an electric hoist snapped while they were being brought up from an underground shaft.

According to preliminary reports, the victims were ascending from a shift underground when the hoist rope suddenly broke, plunging them approximately 45 metres back into the shaft. Emergency responders were called to the scene, but the workers were pronounced dead upon retrieval.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) confirmed the incident in a statement released on X.

“The ZRP confirms a fatal mine incident which occurred at Starlake Claim, Jumbo Mine, Mazowe on 17/04/25 in which three people were killed. The rope of an electric hoist broke while the victims were coming out of the mine shaft resulting in them falling into the shaft approximately 45 metres deep,” the statement read.

Investigations are currently underway to determine the cause of the equipment failure, and whether safety protocols were being followed at the time. Authorities have not yet released the identities of the deceased, pending notification of their families.

This latest incident adds to growing concerns over mine safety in the country, particularly in small- to medium-scale operations where oversight may be limited.