Three miners were killed and 18 feared buried after a shaft in an informal Zimbabwean gold mine collapsed, state television said Saturday.

The accident occurred on Friday in Chegutu, about 120 kilometres (75 miles) west of the capital Harare, ZBC said.

“Three bodies have been retrieved from the collapsed Bay Horse Mine in Chegutu,” it said.

“The bodies were found underneath some rocks in a search operation being undertaken by government with the assistance of some artisanal miners.”

The southern African nation has vast reserves of platinum, diamonds, gold, coal and copper. Due to the floundering economy, illegal mining is rife and often takes place under dangerous conditions.

Accidents are common. In February 2019, 24 miners died when an abandoned pit flooded after torrential rains in the central Zimbabwe. (AFP)