Three Illegal Miners Die in Chingola Soil Collapse

The incident happened on Wednesday evening, leaving several miners trapped beneath the collapsed soil.

Copperbelt Police Commanding Officer Rae Hamoonga confirmed the incident, saying it occurred around 18:20 hours after a group of illegal miners entered the dumpsite to search for stones suspected to contain copper ore.

Hamoonga said preliminary information indicates that the miners entered the area after workers from the company operating the dumpsite had finished their normal operations for the day.

He said an excavator operator had earlier warned the miners that the soil on the side of the hill was loose and dangerous.

However, shortly after the operator left the area, the miners reportedly rushed to collect the suspected copper-bearing stones, causing part of the hill to collapse.

Hamoonga said several miners managed to escape, while others were trapped beneath the soil.

Fellow miners rescued five people and rushed them to Nchanga North General Hospital, where 17-year-old Benjamin Kampelo and 18-year-old Kachama Kambongo were pronounced dead on arrival.

The three other rescued victims were treated and later discharged from the hospital.

The body 3of the third victim, identified as 20-year-old Misheck Mwanza, was later retrieved from beneath the collapsed soil and taken to the Nchanga North General Hospital mortuar