The Sunday Mail
Wallace Ruzvidzo
Hwange Colliery Company has contracted a German-based specialist company, DTM, to assist with the underground fires on its concessions.
In a statement on Friday, Hwange Colliery managing director, Dr Charles Zinyemba, said they were aware of the underground fires, and were putting measures in place to mitigate the coal seam fires.
“As part of long-term mitigation measures, Hwange Colliery Company has since contracted a German-based specialist company to assist with necessary interventions.
“As a precautionary measure, campaigns were and will continue to be carried out in schools and villages. Tribal elders were engaged to assist in disseminating this information to the villagers,” he said.
“Communities in close proximity to the affected areas were and will continue to be informed of temporary measures to manage risks such as road diversions to Number 3 village, barricading as well as placement of signages at the affected areas.”
Dr Zinyemba added that Hwange Colliery had procured a drone for security purposes, as well as for identification of underground fires.
“We have confidence that put together, all the above interventions will soon absolutely contain the spontaneous fires, all to the best interest of the Hwange citizenry and related stakeholders,” he said.
