Iran Sympathizes with Zimbabwe as Gold Mine Death Toll Reaches 24
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s Foreign Ministry expressed sympathy with Zimbabwe over death of at least two dozen gold miners in flooded tunnels in the wake of a dam wall collapse after heavy rain.
In a statement on Tuesday, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi expressed deep sorrow at the deaths in the mine disaster in Battlefields, a small settlement 180 kilometers west of the Zimbabwean capital of Harare that is rich in gold deposits and popular with illegal miners.
He also voiced sympathy with the African country’s government and nation and families of victims of the incident.
Eight survivors and 24 dead bodies have been pulled out of the flooded gold mine in Zimbabwe.
It is believed about 70 miners were underground when a burst dam flooded the illegal mine on February 16.
Zimbabwe, which is in the depths of an economic crisis, has pleaded for outside funding for the ongoing rescue.
