Two Illegal miners have died after a tunnel they were attempting to quarry copper ore from at Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) collapsed due to heavy rains.
Meanwhile police in Chingola have recovered a heap of twenty eight 25 kilogram sacks of copper weighing 1.4 tonnes each.
Given Illunga, 15 and Alick Luapula 18, both of House number 4, Chibwa crescent, Chiwempala in Chingola entered the KCM moolmans pit at 19:00 hours on Tuesday after eluding police officers manning the premises.
The rains which started a few minutes later caused the tunnel to flood and by press time, only Illunga’s body had been recovered
“During the course of their work, it started raining. Unfortunately water entered the tunnel in which the two illegal miners were and the soil got wet and collapsed them,” Copperbelt Police commissioner Mary Tembo said.
Ms Tembo said police rushed to the scene at around 07: 00 found that other illegal miners attempting to retrieve the body of Luapula but were stopped from continuing with the exercise for safety reasons.
Ms Tembo said police suspect illegal miners could have hidden the twenty eight sacks of copper with the intention to smuggle them to an unknown destination.
She said the owners of the contraband abandoned the sacks after noticing the presence of police conducting their usual patrols in the KCM premises.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is clear. Do not boost of providing Jobs for the Indians or Chinese, provide for the young men and women of this Country.
Else I spell doom in 2016 for the PF. People’s patience especially on the copperbelt are slowly eluding.
Provide a job to a 15 year old? Both of them should have been digging for knowledge in books not tunnels
Reading makes a man!! Spot on Kwa Sinia. Studying not digging copper.
sad reading indeed. at 15 someone shod be in school but coz of hardships they are forced to work illegally. mhsrip
there is no money in their pockets which PF promised them!!! thats why they are so desperate
Ndobo this is not about PF government.This illegal mining has been going on for years now,long before PF came into power.I visited Chingola in 2009 and about 5 of these illegal miners died in a similar way then.Are you saying that even then it was because of the PF because MMD was in power then.Lets be serious guys!!
IWE CHI OLD RUGWHY BLAME THE INDIANS AND CHINESE U, SEEM TO BE UNDER FIVE .THESE BOYS DIED IN A NATURAL DISASTER.. HOW DO YOU JUSTIFY SOMEONE STEALING ?BLAMING THE INDIANS AND CHINESE WONT GET YOU ANYWHERE, WORK HARD AND REAP THE FRUITS. THERE IS NOTHING FOR MAHALA. MY CONDOLANCES TO THE BEREAVED FAMILIES OF THE TWO YOUNG LADS. REST IN PEACE YOUNG MEN.
Sad.A bad ending for the young jerabos.MTSRIP.
too bad their lives ended at such young age may God be with there families