Photos shared on social media show desks, benches and school bags in the hole (Picture: Twitter)
At least 17 primary school children in Zimbabwe were hurt when a massive sinkhole – thought to be caused by mining – swallowed a classroom.
One child was seriously injury while others are being treated in hospital for more minor scrapes, it has been reported.
Local authorities have blamed the incident, which happened at Globe and City School in the central city of Kwekwe, on uncontrolled mining.
There are two gold mines located nearby and the school management had reportedly complained about illegal mining underneath the facility in the past.
Photos being shared on social media show the sinkhole filled with desks, benches and school bags.
Local lawmaker Judith Tobaiwa, who visited the school after it happened, told AFP that 17 pupils aged between 10 and 11 were hurt, one seriously.
Speaking about the miners she said: ‘They are still blasting and the whole school premises is shaking.’
Local lawmaker Judith Tobaiwa points to the sinkhole and the primary school (Picture: @JudithTobaiwa2/Twitter)
People gathered at the school after the incident (Picture: @JudithTobaiwa2/Twitter)
Posting photos of the scene on Twitter she wrote: ‘It’s not long ago I recommended immediate action after having visited the school and noticed the signs. Its important for authorities 2 listen.’
Provincial affairs minister Larry Mavima said the authorities had ordered the school close and were trying to find alternative placements for its pupils.
‘As government we are very shocked by this incident and disappointed that the miners didn’t take the requisite measures to secure the area in order to prevent such an accident,’ he said.
He added that an investigation had been launched to find out why it happened and who was responsible.
The landlocked southern African country has vast gold reserves, with gold accounting for a third of all exports in May last year, News24.com reports.
There are hundreds of thousands of small-scale, informal miners in Zimbabwe, many of whom operate illegally.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
(Visited 1 times, 1 visits today)
Related Posts:
- A 2nd sinkhole opens up at La Habra apartment complex amid legal wrangling over the 1st one News Justin Marinello peered into the deep, gaping hole just steps from the front porch of his La Habra condominium on Monday, March 20. For the better part of the last month, rain has soaked the area, as back-to-back storms hit Southern California. Finally, what used to be the remnants of…
- How King Charles Is Getting Back at Prince Harry After Duke Announced His Children’s Titles Entertainment <p><a href="https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/prince-harry/">Prince Harry</a> and Meghan Markle have announced that their children will go by prince and princess in a statement about<a href="https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/prince-harry-meghan-daughter-lilibet-will-biggest-celebrity-la-grows-hollywood-insider-predicts.html/"> their daughter Lilibet</a>‘s christening. A spokesperson for the couple said: “I can confirm that Princess Lilibet Diana was christened on Friday, March 3 by the Archbishop of Los Angeles,…
- Prince William and Kate Middleton Have ‘Broken the Mold’ When It Comes to Raising Royal Children, Author Says Entertainment <p><a href="https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/prince-william/">Prince William</a> and Kate Middleton are taking a different approach to <a href="https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/prince-william-kate-middleton-raising-children-broadly-well-behaved-royal-expert-says.html/">raising their children</a> than royals have in the past. The author of a new book about the royal family says that William and Kate have “broken the mold” in parenting their children.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-custom-image-1200"><img decoding="async" width="1500"…
- ‘Sister Wives’ News: Gwendlyn Brown Confirms Most of Kody Brown’s Children Estranged Except Robyn’s Kids Entertainment <p><em><a href="https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/sister-wives/">Sister Wives</a></em> star, Gwendlyn Brown, reveals some inside information about the relationships between her father, Kody Brown, and <a href="https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/sister-wives-how-many-children-kody-brown-complete-guide-brown-family.html/">his 18 children</a>. She confirms <em>Sister Wives</em> fans’ suspicions that Kody is estranged from most of his kids except for Robyn Brown’s five children. </p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-custom-image-1200"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy"…
- ‘Sister Wives’: Proof Robyn Brown Alienated the Family From Her Children Since Day 1 Entertainment <p>From the very beginning of <em><a href="https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/sister-wives/">Sister Wives</a></em>, Robyn Brown has been accused of alienating her children from her sister wives and the rest of the family. Some viewers have pointed out that this behavior has been evident since day one. Here are some examples of Robyn’s behavior that have…