One person was killed and several others are being sought after an attempted armed robbery at a Chinese-owned gold mine in eastern Zimbabwe, authorities and the company said on Thursday.
The incident occurred in the early hours of October 9 at a gold mining site operated by China Zhuhe Mining Co., Ltd. in the town of Mutoko, Mashonaland East Province, when a group of unidentified men breached the facility’s perimeter in what the company described as a “criminal act.”
According to a statement released by Zhuhe Mining on Friday, an on-duty Chinese engineer fired multiple warning shots into the air, prompting the assailants to flee.
At around 7 a.m. the same day, local workers discovered a critically injured man about a kilometre from the mine. The man, identified as one of the would-be robbers, reportedly confessed to his involvement in the attempted robbery before succumbing to his injuries before police could arrive, the at the scene.
Tensions escalated when local villagers, unaware of the circumstances, surrounded several Chinese workees believing they had been involved in wrongdoing. The situation was defused after police arrived and restored order.
According to the company, one suspect has been taken into custody and is cooperating with authorities, while others remain at large.
The Chinese engineer who discharged the weapon is assisting police with the ongoing inquiry, Zhuhe Mining confirmed, adding that all documentation related to the firearm “was in order.”
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