Lusaka [Zambia], October 10: Four illegal miners died in a gold mine collapse in northern Zambia's Shiwang'andu District, police said Monday.
Police public relations officer Rae Hamoonga said a pit wall at New Scene Gold Mine collapsed Sunday afternoon as the four were manually mining gold.
Efforts were immediately made to retrieve the bodies, but unfortunately, by the time rescuers reached them, all four had already died, the officer said in a statement on Facebook.
The deceased have been identified by police.
Hamoonga reiterated the call for the public to refrain from engaging in illegal mining.
The discovery of minerals such as gold in several parts of Zambia has fueled illegal mining, despite the government's efforts to legalize small-scale operations through licenses.
Source: Xinhua
