‘Zambia mine: Chinese nationals among miners trapped in flooded shaft’ 23 January 2024

Seven miners, including two Chinese nationals, have been trapped in a flooded mine in Zambia's Copperbelt province since Monday. They were among staff working at the Chinese-owned Macrolink copper mine in Ndola city, near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. The miners were trapped underground after water entered the mine, which is still under construction. The Chinese embassy in Zambia said it was mobilising rescue specialists. Macrolink had temporarily suspended operations at the mine, Zambia's state broadcaster reported.

The incident comes barely a month after landslides buried dozens of other miners at Seseli Mine in Chingola, about 400 km (250 miles) north-west of the capital, Lusaka. The fate of around 30 miners who went missing in the mudslide remains unknown after emergency services were unable to locate them. Augustine Kasongo, a senior government official in Copperbelt province, said one person had so far been rescued from the mine that flooded on Monday, local media reported. Rescue teams are trying to pump out water from the mine. Reports say the seven are trapped about 235m (771ft) below the surface.

The two Chinese trapped are the mine supervisor and a controller, while the five Zambians are said to be staff who were working at the shaft bottom of the mine, according to local media. In a statement, the Chinese embassy said it was providing "dewatering equipment and other necessary assistance, to complement the efforts of the Zambian authorities". Zambia is among the world's top copper producers. A significant number of its mines are run by foreigners. Last week, President Hakainde Hichilema said new stringent laws would be introduced to regulate the industry and to stop Zambians from selling mining licences to foreigners.