Two people died and three others were seriously injured during blasting at a mine in Bindura on Saturday 17 October, the Zimbabwe Republic Police has confirmed.

The accident happened at Goldry Mining Syndicate, police said in a post on X. The bodies were taken to Bindura Hospital for post-mortem examinations.

NewZimbabwe and Zim Daily Journal report that the three injured people were taken to Howard Hospital for treatment.

Police have not named the dead or injured.

Police call for safety

National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi urged mine operators and workers to follow safety rules and blasting procedures. "We continue to encourage mine operators to ensure that all safety protocols are followed during blasting and other hazardous operations," he said, as quoted by NewZimbabwe.

Police are investigating what happened, NewZimbabwe reports.

Why it matters: mine safety in 2026

The Bindura accident comes in a difficult year for mine safety. Between January and March 2026, 64 people died in artisanal and small-scale mining alone, 6% more than in the same quarter of 2025, Mines and Mining Development Minister Dr Polite Kambamura said in June, as reported by The Herald and Mining Zimbabwe.

According to the ministry's figures, as carried by both outlets, ground collapses caused 54% of those deaths, the improper use of explosives and gases 25%, falls into abandoned or unprotected shafts 15%, and electrocution and equipment 6%. Kambamura gave the figures while opening a training workshop for mine inspectors, The Herald reported. He described most of the deaths as preventable and urged inspectors to be more proactive in identifying and stopping unsafe mining practices, Mining Zimbabwe reports.

Across the whole industry, the Chamber of Mines recorded 132 deaths from 109 fatal accidents in 2025, down from 186 deaths in 2024 and 237 in 2023, Mining Zimbabwe and ZimEye report. Mining Zimbabwe says ministry figures show about 150 deaths from roughly 140 accidents in the nine months to 30 September 2026, already more than in the whole of last year.

The risk is concentrated at the smaller end of the industry. In the first ten months of 2025, small-scale and illegal operations accounted for 88% of recorded fatal incidents and deaths, while large-scale mines recorded 11 fatal accidents and 13 deaths, Mining Zimbabwe reports, citing Chamber of Mines data.

The Zimbabwe School of Mines has called for "zero fatalities" in small-scale mining and urged miners to get proper safety training, The Herald reports.

What we don't know yet

What caused the accident. Police have not said.

The condition of the three injured people.

Sources: Zimbabwe Republic Police on X, 19 Oct 2026: https://x.com/PoliceZimbabwe/status/2112273893608341619 · NewZimbabwe (James Muonwa), 20 Oct 2026: https://www.newzimbabwe.com/two-killed-others-injured-in-bindura-mine-blasting-accident/ · Zim Daily Journal, 19 Oct 2026: https://zimdailyjournal.co.zw/index.php/2026/10/19/two-miners-die-in-bindura/ · The Herald: https://www.heraldonline.co.zw/64-die-in-mining-related-accidents/ · The Herald: https://www.heraldonline.co.zw/zimbabwe-school-of-mines-demands-zero-fatalities-as-small-scale-mining-deaths-rise-6/ · Mining Zimbabwe (Rudairo Mapuranga): https://miningzimbabwe.com/zimbabwe-mining-death-toll-hits-150-as-safety-gains-falter/ · ZimEye, 28 Sep 2026: https://www.zimeye.net/2026/09/28/zimbabwes-mine-death-toll-can-zero-fatalities-really-become-reality/