CHEGUTU — A 25-year-old gold panner died from suffocation while digging for the precious mineral in a disused mine shaft last Saturday.
Report by Own Correspondent
Mashonaland West police spokesperson Inspector Clemence Mabgweazara confirmed the death of Bright Rabura of Plot 40, Fenhan Farm, Pike Stone in Chegutu.
He said on January 12 this year at around 11am, the now deceased and his colleague Shongedzai Tawana (39) went to St Kilda Mine where they wanted to pan for gold.
At the mine, the now deceased entered the 10-metre deep shaft and started to dig, while his friend stood guard outside.
After realising his counterpart had taken too long to resurface, Shongedzai panicked and followed into the shaft where he found the now deceased gasping for breath.
“He tried to pull him out, but failed and ended up leaving him in the shaft. He rushed to a nearby village where he alerted villagers who accompanied him to the scene, but found Rabura already dead,” said Mabgweazara, adding the body was retrieved and taken to Chegutu District Hospital for a post-mortem.
