Two well-diggers died in a suspected case of gas inhalation while working in a 25-meter-deep well in Jotsholo, Matabeleland North Province.
Their bodies were retrieved from the well by the Bulawayo Fire Brigade on Tuesday.
Mhlangano Moyo, the chief fire officer of the Bulawayo Fire Brigade, confirmed this to the Chronicle, saying his team was called to assist a group from Hwange that faced challenges in retrieving the bodies due to limited resources. He said:
The Bulawayo Fire Brigade conducted a rescue operation in Jotsholo to retrieve the bodies of two male adults who succumbed to gas fumes while deepening a 25-metre well.
The information we have is that the first male adult went down into the well and after a while requested help citing poor air flow.
The second man followed into the well and unfortunately also became a victim of similar circumstances of gas inhalation.
The Hwange team that was initially summoned to attend the scene roped in the Bulawayo Fire Brigade for assistance as they had limited resources to carry out the rescue mission.
Moyo warned community members in the Jotsholo and Lupane areas to remain vigilant against underground gases when digging wells. He said:
The Lupane and Jotsholo areas have methane gases underground and communities in those areas are advised to hire drilling companies as opposed to digging wells on their own.
This is the fourth incident that has been recorded in those areas this year and there is a need for awareness campaigns to educate community members on the dangers of underground gases.
Zimbabwe is experiencing one of the worst droughts in living memory and this has led to rivers and dams drying up, forcing people to dig deeper to find water as the water table recedes.
As more people rely on the same water sources, the demand increases, leading to the depletion of these sources.
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