Eight killed in Zambia mine collapse

Lusaka, Aug 26 (IANS) At least eight miners were killed after a gravel mine collapsed in the Chongwe district of Zambia's Lusaka province, local police said.

Rae Hamoonga, the police spokesperson, said the accident occurred on Sunday after the workers finished loading the gravel, burying the truck and the victims, Xinhua news agency reported.

He said the driver, who was rescued after being partially buried, informed the police that there were no less than nine people at the scene.

The rescue team has managed to retrieve eight bodies while the search for the other victims is still underway, the spokesperson added.

"Our rescue teams have been working tirelessly to recover those affected by this incident. However, due to the challenging conditions at the site, the rescue operation has been temporarily suspended for the day," he said in a statement.

In a similar incident in November 2023, 11 people lost their lives and were recovered from a landslide that occurred at an open-pit copper mine in Zambia.

The disaster occurred when heavy rain caused landslides, burying miners in three separate tunnels.

The miners were working late at night when the incident happened. The rain also led to flooding around the tunnels, adding complexity to the rescue operation. The miners were reportedly digging for copper ore illegally, without the knowledge of the mine owner.

The lack of oversight made it difficult for authorities to ascertain the exact number of individuals trapped underground.