A 28-year-old miner of Mufulira, Christopher Katongo, has died following an underground mine accident in which he was run over by a boomer machine.
The incident occurred at Mopani Copper Mines (MCM) at the 1,507-metre level shaft in Mufulira on Saturday at around 16:30 hours.
The accident happened while Katongo was working alongside three other employees as his colleague, Anold Chama, operated a boomer machine. During the operation, Katongo reportedly fell off the equipment and was subsequently run over by the same machine, sustaining fatal injuries.
Copperbelt Police Commanding Officer Mwala Yuyi confirmed the incident, stating that the mine safety department was immediately notified and the victim was rushed to Malcolm Watson Mine Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Mr Yuyi said Katongo was employed by Reliant Mining Company, a contractor for Mopani Copper Mines, and that investigations into the incident are ongoing.
