28 Killed in Angola Gold Mine Collaps

Darwin, 25 May : At least 28 miners have been killed after a gold mine collapsed in central Africa’s Angola, with nearly half of the victims belonging to the same family, government officials said.

The deadly incident occurred early Saturday at a traditional small-scale mine in the northern Bengo Province, located northeast of the capital, Luanda. Local authorities recovered 28 bodies from the site, with the victims aged between 18 and 45.

Angola, a country rich in diamonds, gold and other mineral resources, attracts thousands of job seekers from neighboring countries. Many of them, including a large number of citizens from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), work in illegal and unregulated mining operations in search of income.

A police official told Angola’s national broadcaster TPA that the miners were extracting strategic minerals, particularly gold, when the mine suddenly collapsed.

“The workers were extracting strategic minerals, especially gold, when the mine unexpectedly caved in,” the official said.

Authorities are continuing search operations to determine whether more bodies remain trapped under the rubble.

An official from the country’s rescue services also confirmed the death toll to local media, saying that 13 of those killed were members of the same family.

Officials in Bengo Province said around 7,000 illegal miners are currently involved in gold extraction activities in the area.

Source: AFP