The government has ordered an immediate halt to mining operations at Seseli mine in Chingola, following a devastating accident that has left over 30 illegal miners feared dead after being buried alive. Mines Minister Paul Kabuswe made the announcement after visiting the accident site in Chingola yesterday.
The closure comes as rescue and recovery efforts are underway to retrieve the bodies of the victims. Minister Kabuswe expressed deep concern over the incident and assured that the government would provide a comprehensive statement once the bodies of the victims are recovered.
The tragedy unfolded at Seseli mine, where illegal miners were reportedly trapped in the underground mine during heavy rains. The exact cause of the accident is yet to be determined, but initial reports suggest a collapse or landslide within the mine, trapping the miners underground.
Chingola District Commissioner Raphael Chimupi, visibly distressed, conveyed the devastation felt by the district. The incident has sent shockwaves through the local community, highlighting the dangers faced by illegal miners who often operate in unsafe and unregulated environments.
Rescue teams, comprising local authorities, mining officials, and emergency services, are working tirelessly to locate and recover the trapped miners. The challenging conditions within the mine pose a significant obstacle to the rescue efforts.
Illegal mining activities have been a persistent issue in various regions, driven by factors such as economic hardships and lack of alternative employment opportunities. The government has periodically conducted crackdowns on illegal mining, emphasizing the importance of adhering to safety regulations to prevent such tragedies.
Closing the barn after the horses have escaped. In your political appeasement you allowed an obvious disaster to continue. You don’t court votes by allowing disorderliness. Those lives are lost
Mining in the pit should have been stopped and guards deployed to secure the area.
@Deja Vu: Chipuba sold the mines to foreigners who disregarded standards. Then they closed the mines leaving people unemployed. Michael Satan and Edgar “Johnathan Mutawire” Lungu then borrowed and looted $US31 billion, leaving Zambia to have to pay what little money it gets from selling the electricity generated in Southern Province, to shylocks demanding service on their debt. This has left Zambia in desperate conditions. This is not the Zambia Mwanawassa and Magande left for Michael Satan. It is the Zambian inherited from criminal and incompetent management of PF. This is PF’s fault.
Government halts????
Those are Kabuswe personal workers.
Actually I didn’t just want to mention it. Just like he scavenged the black mountain, he’s been exploiting poor people both in Kapisha and Chiwempala.
The blood of these innocents will remain on his hands.
A sad day for mother zambia. This is a result of upnd failure to manage this economy. People are suffering and are desperate to risk lives just for a few coins. This has never happened in our history. These deaths are all on hh hands. I hate hh with all my heart
@Kaizar “Kanyenga-Nyoko” Zulu: Chipuba sold the mines to foreigners who disregarded standards. Then they closed the mines leaving people unemployed. Michael Satan and Edgar “Johnathan Mutawire” Lungu then borrowed and looted $US31 billion, leaving Zambia to have to pay what little money it gets from selling the electricity generated in Southern Province, to shylocks demanding service on their debt. This has left Zambia in desperate conditions. This is not the Zambia Mwanawassa and Magande left for Michael Satan. It is the Zambian inherited from criminal and incompetent management of PF. This is PF’s fault, AND you were a member of PF
Really??
Who allowed this sort of mining in the first place
After the ship has sank everyone knows how it could have been saved. Typical Zambian.
Too bad
Terrible loss of life MTSRIP
I grew up under ZCCM and what strikes me about these pictures is that these miners have no standard work clothes!! ZCCM had standard mining kit that included Overalls, gumboots, helmet with searchlight How is government allowing citizens to be misused like this?? Those miners look like slaves and no minister in the new doom government has inspected conditions!! They are turning up when it is too late to say “has ordered an immediate halt” Mining was halted when the disaster occurred!
If like the story suggests they are illegal miners whats the use of an order from government for operations to be halted? Is it that like Nostrdamus states above they are Kabuswe’s workers?
Where’s MSD? They can’t do anything because some big wigs are involved. The whole thing is an exploitative scam. MSD can not allow such nonsense unless someone is leaning on them.
Let’s how the law works in this case.
What a legacy that PF thuggery has left. It will take years to clean.
@Nyambe Nyambe : You are exactly right. Chipuba sold the mines to foreigners who disregarded standards. Then they closed the mines leaving people unemployed. Michael Satan and Edgar “Johnathan Mutawire” Lungu then borrowed and looted $US31 billion, leaving Zambia broke and unable to pay its debt. Zambia has been forced by its creditors to remove all subsidies in order to pay that debt. This has left Zambia in desperate conditions. This is not the Zambia Mwanawassa and Magande left for Michael Satan. It is the Zambian inherited from criminal and incompetent management of PF. This is PF’s fault.
These are illegal miners breaking the law. What are you going to close as they don’t belong to any organization, body, company etc.