Gravel mine collapse kills eight in Zambia

Eight bodies have been retrieved from a gravel mine that collapsed on Sunday in Zambia, police said, with more workers feared trapped under the debris.

On Sunday morning, part of the pit around 45 kilometres (28 miles) east of the capital Lusaka caved in as a tipper truck was loading gravel, “trapping an unknown number of male loaders,” police said.

The truck driver, who was partially buried before being pulled out afterwards and hospitalised, estimated that there were at least nine men around his lorry at the time of the accident.

“Our rescue teams have been working tirelessly to recover those affected,” police spokesman Rae Hamoonga said.

“However, due to the challenging conditions at the site, the rescue operation has been temporarily suspended for the day,” Hamoonga added, with operations to resume Monday “at first light”.

Zambia is home to many mines and fatal accidents are a frequent occurrence.

In December 2023, nearly 30 miners lost their lives when a copper mine in the north of the country collapsed following a mudslide caused by torrential rain.