Tragedy Strikes at Illegal Zambian Quarry: Nine Men Dead

Nine men died in a quarry collapse while working illegally in Zambia's Chongwe. The collapse occurred Sunday, 50 km east of Lusaka. Eight bodies were recovered Sunday and a ninth on Monday. Police have launched an investigation into the incident and highlighted a series of similar past accidents.

Tragedy struck in Chongwe, Zambia, as nine men lost their lives when a large pile of gravel collapsed on them while they were illegally working in a quarry. According to police spokesperson Rae Hamoonga, the incident occurred on Sunday about 50 kilometers east of the capital, Lusaka.

The victims were loading gravel onto a truck, whose driver survived with injuries and was promptly hospitalized. The rescue operation, halted due to nightfall on Sunday, recovered eight bodies initially and a ninth one on Monday.

Chongwe District Commissioner Evans Lupiya confirmed that both the men and the truck were buried under the gravel. A police investigation has been initiated. This tragic event is part of a troubling pattern in Zambia, where several fatal accidents have occurred involving illegal quarry or mine operations. Last December, nearly 30 informal miners died in a similar incident at an open-pit copper mine in the north of the country.

(With inputs from agencies.)