10 Dead, Others Missing in Zambia Mine Collapse
At least 10 people have died, and an unknown number are missing following a mine collapse in central Zambia, according to police reports on Monday.
Rescue operations are currently underway, but it remains unclear how many miners were underground during the incident, which took place in Mumbwa district, about 150 kilometers (93 miles) west of Lusaka. The cause of the collapse has not yet been determined.
Charity Munganga Chanda, the police commissioner for Central Province, confirmed that nine bodies have been recovered from the site, while a tenth victim died in the hospital. Five others were injured and are receiving treatment.
Collins Nzovu, a local government minister and member of Parliament, reported that 20 miners are missing and feared dead, though police have not confirmed this figure.
The miners involved are believed to be informal workers, a common occurrence in Zambia. Last year, dozens of informal miners lost their lives in a landslide at an open-pit copper mine in Chingola, near the northern border with Congo.
