By Patience Gondo
A veld fire broke out last night, October 16 between Xintai Resources Mine and Masasari Hill, roughly 10 kilometres from the mining site.
The fire, which threatened nearby ecosystems and properties, was brought under control through a joint effort involving mine workers and safari staff.
Chief Tshitaudze was the first to report the incident, which occurred in the semi arid, fire prone region west of Beitbridge town.
The Area Manager for Nengasha Safaris Pilate Mpofu, said eight people , four employees from Xintai Resources and four from Nengasha Safaris responded quickly to the emergency and managed to extinguish the blaze before it could spread further.
“The fire was contained thanks to the miners’ quick response,” Mpofu said.
“The team worked under the direction of the Chinese foreman from Xintai, who had a water bowser truck on site to support the operation.”
Mpofu said the coordinated efforts of the two teams prevented the fire from reaching sensitive areas, including grazing zones and protected bushlands that are home to wildlife and local plant species.
Beitbridge District Forestry Officer Zibusiso Ndlovu confirmed the incident and said investigations are underway to determine the cause of the fire.
“I’m on my way to the scene to assess the extent of the damage,” Ndlovu said.
“We are still gathering information on what may have triggered it,”he said.
More details expected on the scale of destruction following the Foresty department‘s on site assessment.