11 bodies recovered after landslide at Zambian mine
Eleven bodies have been recovered from a landslide that occurred at an open-pit copper mine in Zambia. Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit confirmed the report and said the bodies were of informal miners who were digging tunnels at the mine. One survivor, a 49-year-old man, was found and is recovering in the hospital.
Up to 26 others remain missing and are feared dead. The disaster occurred on November 30 when heavy rain caused landslides, burying miners in three separate tunnels. Rescuers also retrieved the first two bodies last week and nine more after.
Illegal mining
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. This lack of oversight makes it difficult for authorities to ascertain the exact number of individuals trapped underground. The army is assisting with the rescue operation, which involves pumping out water from the site and clearing rocks and earth.
“Efforts to recover the remaining accident victims are ongoing,” the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit said in a statement.
Zambia is one of the world’s largest copper producers and Chingola is in the country’s Copperbelt Province and a hotbed of illegal open-pit mining. Deadly accidents are frequent. The region has one of the world’s largest open-cast copper mines and some of the waste piles reach up to 100 meters (300 feet) in height.
