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Three illegal miners have died after loose soil collapsed at the Ore Body (OB)-19 Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) dumpsite along the Chingola-Solwezi Road in Chingola District, police said.
Copperbelt Police Commanding Officer, Rae Hamoonga, said the incident occurred on September 23, 2026, at about 18:20 hours and was reported at Chingola Central Police Station at around 19:15 hours.
Hamoonga said preliminary information indicated that after workers from the company operating the dumpsite had knocked off, a group of illegal miners entered the area to scavenge for stones suspected to contain copper ore.
He said an excavator operator had earlier warned the miners that the soil on the side of the hill was loose and dangerous.
“It is reported that an excavator operator had earlier warned the illegal miners that the soil on the side of the hill was loose and dangerous,” he said.
Hamoonga said shortly after the operator moved away, the miners reportedly scrambled to collect the suspected copper-bearing stones, triggering the collapse of part of the hill.
Several miners managed to escape, while others were trapped beneath the soil, he said.
“Fellow miners rescued five persons who were rushed to Nchanga North General Hospital. Two of them, identified as Benjamin Kampelo, aged 17, and Kachama Kambongo, aged 18, were unfortunately pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital,” he said.
Hamoonga said the other three rescued miners were treated and later discharged from hospital.
During a subsequent search operation, he said, the remains of another victim, identified as Misheck Mwanza, 20, were retrieved from beneath the collapsed soil and deposited at Nchanga North General Hospital Mortuary.
Police have opened an inquiry file and were expected to revisit the scene on Thursday, September 24, to continue the search and assess whether any other people remained trapped beneath the collapsed material.
Hamoonga cautioned members of the public, particularly illegal miners, against entering active mining and dumpsite areas without authorisation.
“Such areas may contain unstable slopes and loose material capable of collapsing without warning, thereby putting lives at serious risk.”
He said police would continue working with relevant stakeholders to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
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