Liberty Dube Post Correspondent
A 35-YEAR-OLD illegal gold panner died after a mineshaft he was mining in collapsed in Penhalonga last Friday.
Police confirmed the incident which happened at Broomsley Farm in Penhalonga, saying the deceased, Proud Mungato, was trapped in a shaft and died despite attempts by his colleague, Luscious Bwanali (25) to save him.
“Mungato who was in the company of Bwanali went for a gold panning expedition and entered into a mineshaft which was 11 metres deep.
“Mungato proceeded to a horizontal tunnel to pull out a submissive water pump. He drowned while attempting to remove the pump. Bwanali tried to rescue the deceased to no avail. He reported the matter to the police and the body who retrieved the body the following day,” said Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Luxson Chananda.