The workers, who include 13 Tanzanians and one Chinese were buried in rubble 38m (124ft 6in) underground at 03:00am local time at the Chinese-invested RZT gold mine in Nyarugusu.
Geita Regional Commissioner Ezekiel Kyunga, who was at the scene, told the state-owned Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation TV that he believed they would be rescued alive.
"From what I have witnessed here, I have a lot of hope that our compatriots who are buried down there are still alive. It is good that they are being supplied with oxygen through pipes." Kyunga said as quoted by East African.
Rescue efforts involving the police, fire department and other stakeholders are currently underway to rescue those trapped inside the mine shaft.
In March last year, five miners died at another site in the region after being trapped while prospecting for gold.