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Another tragedy has struck the mining community as three illegal miners have reportedly died after being trapped in a collapsed mine at the Black Mountain in Kitwe, where they were scavenging for copper.
The Kitwe City Council Fire and Rescue Services unit responded to the incident at a former dumpsite near the Black Mountain after receiving reports of miners being trapped.
Out of the four miners involved, three succumbed to their injuries on the way to Kitwe Teaching Hospital, while one survived.
Read more: Developing Story: 7 confirmed trapped at Macrolink Mine, as rescue efforts intensify
The deaths were confirmed by Kitwe Council Public Relations Manager, Mwaka Nakweti, who said:
“Upon receiving the distress call, our teams were immediately dispatched to the scene. Rescue operations were conducted in coordination with the Mopani Copper Mine Fire Brigade and the Zambia Police Service.”
The bodies of the deceased have been deposited in the mortuary, awaiting identification and postmortem.
This tragedy comes amid rising concerns over the increasing number of mining-related accidents across Zambia.
Stakeholders have expressed worry about the lack of safety measures, as incidents continue to occur almost daily.
Just a day earlier, five miners died in a collapse at Silgram Copper Mines in Nangoma Constituency, Mutebe Village.
Area Member of Parliament Collins Nzovu noted that this site was the same location where three lives were lost last year.
Calls are growing for urgent measures to address safety challenges in the mining sector to prevent further loss of life.
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