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Two people died after they were trapped underground whilst scavenging for gold during a gold rush at Karondora Farm(Banket)also known as ID Farm.
The two died after three people were trapped on Sunday evening and rescue efforts by other artisinal miners managed to rescue one person whilst the unidentified deceased rescue efforts failed.
The bodies were conveyed to Banket Hospital on Monday morning.
Hundreds of people from across the country thronged the farm last Wednesday following reports of gold discovery.
The farm reportedly owned by High Court Judge Florence Ziyambi has also seen the police joining in the gold rush as according to the artisinal miners riot police are demanding up to two hundred united states dollars to get access to the field for an hour.
“The two were part of hundreds people trying their luck but unfortunately a chunk of soil trapped them and it took some time to notice as everyone was busy to get as much ore as one could get,” Evans Sambiri one of the miners who travelled from Gokwe narrated.
Some artisinal miners had complaints against the police whom they accused for looting their gold ores.
“Police would throw tear gas canisters on us and as we try to find refuge they will hurl our gold ores onto their truck and even when you have paid for access they would hurry you up and unleash dogs on us and they will take our ores,” said a miner who identified himself as Gina.
A roadblock along Banket-Mazvikadei road where suspected miners were forced to part with some of their loot were being manned when we visited the area on Tuesday morning
with riot police setting up tents at the mining scene.
Efforts to get comments from the police were fruitless. Written questions sent to police were not responded to by the time of writing as both Mashonaland West Police Spokesperson Inspector Margeret Chitove and National Police Spokesperson Senior Assistant Commisioner Paul Nyathi had not responded.
