Authorities in Zambia are intensifying rescue operations to reach five miners trapped after a collapse at a gold mine in Matala, locally known as the Qon site, in the Mumbwa district of Central Province. The operation is now under the supervision of a high-level government committee and has become one of the country’s most closely watched emergency responses, with officials working under presidential instructions that prioritize saving the miners’ lives.
According to official updates issued on May 8, a provincial official confirmed that rescue teams successfully cleared an initial tunnel at the abandoned mining site but found no victims in that section. He added that no contact has been established so far with the trapped miners, noting that excavation and search operations are continuing in other parts of the collapsed underground structure.
The accident is believed to have occurred late on Monday, May 4, or in the early hours of Tuesday, May 5, at the abandoned mining site. However, large-scale rescue efforts were only formally launched on Wednesday after the scale of the collapse became clear.
The president directed all state institutions to mobilize resources, emphasizing that the top priority is preserving lives. In response, the government established a special committee composed of senior officials from multiple agencies to coordinate the rescue effort.
The committee includes representatives from environmental and safety authorities, security and police services, and the health sector, which has deployed emergency medical teams, as well as disaster management units leading the technical extraction operations on the ground.
Officials say rescue teams are facing difficult underground conditions, including unstable soil and the risk of further collapse, which complicates efforts to safely reach the trapped miners.
The incident has renewed attention on the dangers associated with unregulated mining, particularly at abandoned sites lacking proper safety standards.
The collapse comes at a time when Zambia is hosting an international mine rescue event, marking the first time it has been held in Africa, with a focus on improving rescue standards and emergency response capabilities.
The contrast between the international event and the emergency in Mumbwa has highlighted persistent safety challenges in artisanal and abandoned mining areas.
During a visit to the site, a government minister said the immediate priority remains the safe recovery of the miners, while also stressing the need to strengthen enforcement against illegal mining activities.
Authorities have not yet released the identities of the trapped miners, stating that family notification procedures are still underway, and confirmed that rescue operations remain ongoing.
