Shurugwi – Five bodies, including that of a heavily pregnant woman and three of her relatives, have been recovered from a disused chrome pit in Shurugwi after a tragic incident on Sunday evening.
Shurugwi District Development Coordinator (DDC) Romeo Shangwa confirmed the grim details, stating that the fifth and final body was retrieved this morning after an overnight operation to pump water from the shaft. The other four bodies were recovered with the assistance of the Police’s sub-aqua unit.
Miraculously, one of the six passengers managed to escape the submerged vehicle and swim to safety.
While the names of the deceased have yet to be released, Midlands Police Spokesperson Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko confirmed that the police are still gathering information on the case. “We are yet to receive an official report on the incident,” said Mahoko.
The accident has once again brought into sharp focus the dangers posed by abandoned mining pits in the area. These water-filled pits, remnants of past mining activities, have become death traps, claiming the lives of both humans and animals over the years.
Local residents have long voiced their concerns about the abandoned pits, repeatedly calling on the government to take action and close them. In January, a Shurugwi female prison inmate tragically lost her two minor children after they drowned while swimming in one of these pits.
The lack of action to address the issue has fueled frustration among local residents, who are urging authorities to take immediate steps to prevent further loss of life. Shurugwi residents are demanding that the abandoned pits be properly secured or filled in to prevent future tragedies.
