Tragedy at Unki Mine: LHD Operator Killed in Workplace Accident
SHURUGWI – A fatal workplace accident at Anglo American Platinum’s Unki Mine in Shurugwi has claimed the life of 44-year-old Load Haul Dump (LHD) operator, Felix Kore, sparking an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
Kore, who had been with Unki Mine since 2017, worked his way up from a lasher to a bolter assistant before qualifying as an LHD operator in January this year.
His sudden passing has left co-workers and the mining community deeply saddened.
In a circular to employees, Unki Mine expressed grief over Kore’s death and confirmed the incident.
He will be laid to rest at his homestead in Village 4, Chironde, Shurugwi.
The mine assured workers that investigations are underway to determine what led to the accident.
This tragedy adds to the rising number of fatalities in Zimbabwe’s mining sector.
In January, two artisanal miners died after being trapped in a collapsed shaft at Knot Brothers Farm in Mberengwa. Their bodies were retrieved six days later in a state of decomposition.
Zimbabwe recorded 237 fatalities from 212 mine accidents in 2023, a 28 percent rise from the previous year, according to the Herald.
Of these, 14 percent occurred in mines registered under the Chamber of Mines, 71 percent in unregistered illegal mines, and 15 percent in legal mining operations.
The leading causes of mine-related fatalities include fall-of-ground incidents, shaft collapses, accidental detonation and gassing.
Mining authorities have urged operators to prioritize safety regulations under the Mines and Minerals Act to reduce accidents.
