An illegal miner was reportedly fatally struck by a falling rock while prospecting for gold at a Bulawayo City Council (BCC) quarry mine on Tuesday morning.
The police have identified the deceased as Chris Moyo, a resident of New Parklands.
According to a police report, the BCC security guard manning the area reportedly received information from a fellow miner at around 3:25 am that someone was trapped inside the pit located along Cecil Avenue and Coghlan Road.
Upon checking, the security guard found the deceased trapped and unresponsive.
When a CITE news crew arrived at the scene around 9am, the Fire Brigade were retrieving the body which they later handed over to the police.
Examination revealed the deceased had sustained a deformed left jaw and bleeding from the mouth, nose, and ears. No identification documents or other belongings were found on his person.
The body was later identified by a friend who confirmed Moyo had left home the previous night stating he was going to the Khumalo pit to mine gold.
Authorities believe he may have been struck by a collapsing rock during mining activities.
“We urge the public to refrain from engaging in illegal mining activities,” said police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube. “It is not only an illegal act, to engage in illegal mining but has more risk than prospects of getting rich.”
