Mozambique: Ten dead and five injured in “Seis Carros” mine collapse, Manica

The Secretary of State for the province of Manica, Lourenço Lindonde, provided an update yesterday exclusively to Jornal Domingo regarding the number of victims following the collapse of one of the mines in the area known as “Seis Carros,” in the district of Vanduzi. According to Lindonde, ten artisanal miners lost their lives inside the mine, and a further five were injured. Among the injured, three, who are in serious condition, were transferred to the Chimoio Provincial Hospital, while two remain under medical care at the Vanduzi District Hospital.

The situation in the “Seis Carros” area is described as complex, as it is occupied by more than 10,000 people—both nationals and foreigners—engaged in gold mining, most of whom do not follow basic occupational health and safety rules. This makes the location highly prone to fatal accidents. Several measures are being considered to make the area safer.

However, the large number and diverse nature of operators, many of whom are not organised into associations and some of whom have been violent, require careful and thorough planning. The area has notably failed to comply with the temporary suspension of mining activities mandated by the Council of Ministers last year, and mine collapses have continued since then. “Seis Carros” is an informal mining area composed of hundreds of pits, some tens of metres deep, managed by individuals from various parts of the country. Both the provincial governor, Francisca Tomás, and Secretary of State Lindonde expressed deep sorrow over this tragedy, which adds to a series of accidents in an area that hosts over 10,000 men and women, both nationals and foreigners, who largely operate without adhering to the most basic occupational health and safety standards.