Morogoro — The government has closed Benjamin And Partners Goldmine in Kitaita village, Gairo District, for seven days after a collapse at shaft No. 305, giving authorities time to investigate and establish the scale of harm.
The order follows the deaths reported at the site on September 7. Yet the public accounts differ on the death toll: Mine Manager Iddi Chacha said four people had died, while Gairo District Commissioner Japhar Kubecha reported five deaths and four injuries.
Chacha said nine people, locally called Manyani or Wadudu, had entered shaft 305 without authorisation. He said the shaft had been closed after mining ended, and that some people remained unaccounted for and might still be underground.
The manager said miners working lawfully in operational shafts were registered, making it easier to identify them when an incident occurred; he said this was not the case for those alleged to have entered the closed shaft secretly.
READ MORE: Five Die in Kitaita Mine Collapse in Morogoro
The reported discrepancy over deaths, injuries and unaccounted-for people leaves the definitive toll to be established by the investigation.
The shutdown is formally for seven days, but Kubecha said it could be shortened if the security situation remained calm.
The incident has renewed attention on how exhausted mine shafts are secured. Abdilah Mohamed, the chairperson of miners, said shaft holders should ensure that shafts are backfilled once work ends; Chacha said the operation had already backfilled about 26 disused shafts.
A 2026 peer-reviewed study of artisanal and small-scale mining accidents in three Tanzanian mining areas found that groundfalls and shaft collapses were among the common direct causes of accidents.
The study reviewed 268 reported accidents between 2009 and 2024 and recorded 420 deaths and 234 injuries, concluding that stronger regulation and enforcement were essential.
READ MORE: Five Dead in Tanga’s Quarry Collapse as Mining Safety Concerns Mount
The Mining Commission has recently also urged mine managers and chief inspectors to submit regular inspection reports so authorities can identify hazards early and take preventive action.
In an April training programme, it said the protection of miners’ lives must take priority over mineral production.
