A risky search for gold turned fatal in Kasungu when an abandoned mine suddenly caved in, trapping two men underground and leaving their families mourning what began as a desperate attempt to earn a living.
Two men have died after an abandoned gold mine collapsed on them while they were allegedly conducting illegal mining activities at Siliuka Village in Kasungu District.
Kasungu Police Deputy Public Relations Officer Miracle Hauli identified the deceased as Stenala Kapiti, 40, and Mikeyasi Mbewe, 24.
According to Hauli, the incident occurred at a gold mine that had been closed for the past three years. Despite the closure, the two men reportedly continued extracting gold from the site without following the required legal procedures.
The tragedy unfolded when the abandoned mine suddenly collapsed while the pair were underground, trapping them beneath the debris.
Concerned villagers alerted officers from Chigunda Police Unit, prompting an emergency response involving police officers and medical personnel.
Rescuers managed to retrieve Mbewe’s body from the collapsed mine, and a medical examination later established that he died from suffocation.
Recovery efforts later continued for Kapiti, whose body remained trapped inside the collapsed shaft following the accident.
Kapiti hailed from Chiwaya Village under Traditional Authority Kawinga in Machinga District, while Mbewe came from the area of Traditional Authority Simlemba in Kasungu District.
The latest disaster comes barely two weeks after another deadly mining accident in Kasungu, where a 53-year-old woman, Tisela Banda, and her grandchild died when a gold mine collapsed at Makwenje Village under Senior Chief Simlemba, while her 20-year-old son survived with injuries.
