10 miners confirmed dead, 20 feared trapped in Mumbwa mine tragedy

Ten miners have been confirmed dead, with 20 others feared missing, following a devastating accident at Lwiili Mine in Mumbwa.

Nangoma Member of Parliament, Collins Nzovu, and the Zambia Police confirmed the incident, revealing that search efforts were ongoing to locate the missing miners.

“I regret to confirm a tragic mining accident at Lwiili Mine in Nangoma, where 20 lives are feared lost. As of now, nine bodies have been retrieved, with 10 confirmed dead,” Nzovu stated in a video posted on his official Facebook account on Monday.

He added that President Hakainde Hichilema and Vice President Mutale Nalumango had been informed of the incident and urged residents and the bereaved to remain calm.

Central Province Police Chief, Charity Chanda, also confirmed the deaths and said five miners were injured.

“An unknown number of people were conducting mining activities when the earth collapsed on them,” Chanda explained.

Rescue teams recovered six injured miners, but one later died at Nangoma Mission Hospital.

The bodies of the deceased have been taken to Mumbwa General Hospital Mortuary, while the injured are receiving treatment at Nangoma Mission Hospital.

Rescue operations are still ongoing, with authorities working to determine how many miners were in the pit at the time of the collapse.

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