Three illegal miners have died after loose soil collapsed at the OB-19 KCM dumpsite along the Chingola-Solwezi Road in Chingola District.
Copperbelt Police Commissioner Rae Hamoonga has confirmed the incident to Diamond News, saying it happened on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at around 18:20 hours.
Mr. Hamoonga says a group of illegal miners entered the dumpsite after workers from the company operating the site had knocked off, allegedly to scavenge for stones suspected to contain copper ore.
He says an excavator operator had earlier warned the miners that the soil on the side of the hill was loose and dangerous.
However, shortly after the operator moved away, the miners reportedly scrambled to collect the stones, causing the loose soil to collapse and bury some of them.
Mr. Hamoonga says several miners managed to escape, while others were trapped under the soil.
He says five miners were rescued by their fellow miners and rushed to Nchanga North General Hospital, where 17-year-old Benjamin Kampelo and 18-year-old Kachama Kambongo were pronounced dead on arrival.
The other three victims were treated and discharged.
Mr. Hamoonga further says the body of a third victim, identified as 20-year-old Misheck Mwanza, was later retrieved from beneath the collapsed soil during a search operation and deposited at the Nchanga North General Hospital mortuary.
He has since cautioned members of the public, particularly illegal miners, against entering active mining and dumpsite areas without authority, warning that such areas may have unstable slopes capable of collapsing without warning.
Police have since opened an inquiry file and are expected to revisit the scene today to continue the search and establish whether any other people remain trapped.
By Respite Kaoma
