Six people have died and 15 others are believed to still be trapped underground after the collapse of a goldmine in Zimbabwe. 

Local media is reporting 34 miners were caught in the collapse on Friday at Beyhose mine in the gold rich town of Chegtu, about 100 kilometres from the capital, Harare. 

Thirteen of the miners managed to escape, and rescue operations are underway for the remaining miners.

The Associated Press reported police and the mines ministry could not be reached for comment.

Incidents of mine collapses, often involving artisanal miners, are rampant in the southern African country that is rich in gold, coal and diamonds.

The country of 15 million people also has Africa's largest reserves of lithium, a mineral in global demand due to its use in electric car batteries.

Zimbabwe's mineral-rich national parks, abandoned mines, rivers and even towns are often swarmed with people, including young children, seeking to find valuable deposits — it is one of the few economic activities still going on in a country that has suffered industry closures, a currency crisis and rampant unemployment over the past two decades.

Critics blame economic mismanagement and corruption for the collapse of a once-thriving economy and one of Africa's bright spots.

The government points to two decades of sanctions imposed by the United States over allegations of human rights violations.