At least 17 primary school children were injured in Zimbabwe on Friday after a classroom collapsed into a sinkhole, local authorities said, blaming the incident on uncontrolled underground mining.
The primary school in Kwekwe, a town about 200 kilometers (125 miles) southwest of the capital, Harare, is located near two gold mines.
The school management has complained about illegal mining activities in the grounds.
“A girl is seriously injured and arrangements have been made for her to be taken to hospital,” local lawmaker Judith Tobaiwa told AFP.
Photos circulating on social media showed a hole opened under the classroom floor, swallowing desks, chairs and school bags.
A total of 17 students aged between 10 and 11 were injured, Tobaiwa said.
“They’re still blasted and the whole school building is shaking,” he added, speaking on the phone from the scene of the crash.
Provincial affairs minister Larry Mavima said authorities ordered the school closed and were trying to find alternative placements for the pupils.
“As the government, we are shocked by the incident and disappointed that the miners did not take the necessary measures to secure the area to prevent the accident,” he said.
An investigation will be launched “why this happened and who is responsible”, he said.
The landlocked southern African country has huge gold reserves.
The precious metal accounted for about a third of all exports in May last year, according to official data.
This sector has attracted hundreds of thousands of small-scale informal miners, who often operate illegally.
A 2020 report by the International Crisis Group (ICG) estimates that 1.5 million people have turned to artisanal mining due to widespread unemployment, poverty, and economic hardship.
Accidents are relatively common in inactive mines, especially when the ground releases rain.