Two miners have died at Mopani Copper mine in Kitwe after a blasting accident this morning.
Mine Workers Union of Zambia (MUZ) President Joseph Chewe confirmed the accident to ZANIS in Kitwe today and identified the deceased as Musomali Ackleo 42, a mine Captain and Chrispine Mwaba 29, a boomer operator.
The accident happened between 06 hours and 07 hours at SOB mine shaft after a blasting accident.
The two miners were employees of Reliant Drilling, a contractor engaged by Mopani Copper mine.
And Mr Chewe described the accident as saddening especially that three other miners died at Mopani Copper mine barely a month ago.
The MUZ president has since called for a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident.
And Copperbelt Province Permanent Secretary Bright Nundwe challenged Mopani Copper Mines to invest in the safety of workers.
‘Mopani should put a high premium on safety and provide workers with a safe working environment for workers to work effectively,’ Mr. Nundwe charged.
He observed that no one can work effectively when three quarters of their mind is gripped with fear due to the uncertainty of how the day will end at their work place due to the unsafe working environment.
He stated that Mopani was one of the biggest mines in the county as such it should be the least in recording mine accidents.
This is so sad. May the souls of the departed rest in peace.
The families of the deceased should sue Mopani for negligence. Quickly find a competent lawyer and sue them for millions of Kwachas. That’s the only language these people understand. Don’t think the government will do anything about this. They don’t really care about Zambian workers, and they let these foreign companies use Zambian workers like slaves–working under slave conditions. Sue them.
Two miners die at Mopani?? Ba LT Mopani isn’t a place. It’s a company. Just say Two miners die at Kitwe mine
Imwe naimwe bukala bwenu yama what’s your problem kanshi?
Only uncivilised people resort to insulting others
@2.2 ndemona niba retard. He therefore can’t see my point. As a communications expert I will educate him and LT. Two die at Mopani could mean they died in Kitwe, mufulira DRC or Canada. Mopani owns mines in all these places. Just as we wouldn’t say one dies at Zambia Railways when a locomotive driver died in livingstone
How can such accidents be happening in 2019…..investigate these Indian crooks
@JJ, Mopani is not owned by ba Mwenye.
Blasting has got very clear instructions. .before blasting instruct every one to clear away and stay at a designated place. Actioning the blast is not done at the actual face but from designated safe place. It’s either these guys went to check why the blast didn’t go or they entered the area because nobody had barricaded the area off. Contractors are paid by the amount of meters they do and naturally they tend to rush the jobs. That’s why they are assigned a senior mine official to work with. Looking at the name of the mine captain I would say he’s a Tanzanian and these people are real hard workers. Mopani need to revisit their safety department. There should be no excuses, heads must roll.
Only uncivilised people insult others
Qualifications of the mine captain and the induction done must be verified, secondly revisit the blasting procedures or if there was any flouting of the same. Blasting incidents or accidents in Zambia should not be happening now because all loop holes and weakness could have been identified. this is the situation when you rush jobs. Could this have been murder because the blaster was supposed to check if all have cleared and not to blast if in doubt. Sad that we have lost souls. RIP.
Sad news indeed but hw long will this investigation go on the only ones suffering apart from the deceased families are pipo depending on the workers salaries mostly us school going children plz finish your investigation at the earliest coz am suffering for wat is not even my fault