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After a lengthy rescue operation, government has decided to halt search for trapped miners in the mining town of Chingola.
On December 1,2023 more than 31 miners were reportedly feared dead after they were trapped underneath following a heavy downpour.
Since then, only 12 have been retrieved with Mwasha Kakoma the only survivor in the illegal mine mishap.
Briefing the media in Chingola after meeting relatives of the trapped informal miners, Copperbelt Minister, Elisha Matambo, said the normal search would only resume after the rains.
Read more: Mine Tragedy: Mass burial imminent as number of retrieved bodies reaches 11
“The rescue team has been facing serious challenges since the rains started, walls leading to the tunnels have been collapsing, in the interest of safeguarding the lives of the rescue operators we have temporarily stopped the rescue until the rains stop,” Matambo said.
He also announced the ban of mining activities on top and inside the Sensele Open Pit Mine.
“Government has with immediate effect banned small scale miners from accessing the Sensele open pit mine,” Matambo announced.
He added that once the rescue mission was concluded, government would engage miners by helping them to form cooperatives.
This, Matambo, assured would be the beginning of formalizing their mining activities.
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