HARARE, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Eleven artisanal miners are suspected to be trapped underground following the collapse of a shaft at a gold mine in Zimbabwe on Thursday, state-run The Herald newspaper reported Friday.
Zimbabwean Minister of Mines and Mining Development Soda Zhemu confirmed the accident happened at Redwing Mine, a gold mine in Penhalonga in the Manicaland Province, saying rescue efforts are hampered by continued earth movements.
"Eleven people are suspected to be trapped underground, about 20 meters below the surface. The cause of the collapse of the mineshaft is suspected to be an earth tremor whose source is yet to be ascertained," said Zhemu.
Rescue teams that went underground attempting to rescue the trapped miners had to retreat after noticing the ground was still caving in, said Zhemu.
Investigations into the root causes of the accident were still in progress, according to police. ■
