Luanda: At least two sisters, aged 11 and 23, were killed earlier this week when an illegal artisanal gold mine collapsed along the banks of the Mulundo River in Chinjenje municipality, central Huambo province.
According to Angola Press News Agency, the incident occurred around 6 p.m. on Wednesday in the village of Bel©m, Canassi sector, while the victims were manually excavating minerals. A sudden landslide trapped the two sisters underground, resulting in death by asphyxiation. Local residents later recovered their bodies.
Authorities are currently investigating the exact circumstances surrounding the collapse, the Fire Service said. The Civil Protection urged the public to avoid high-risk excavation and unlicensed mining, while emphasizing the urgent need to observe basic safety standards during earthmoving activities to prevent further tragedies.
This marks the second fatal mining incident in Huambo province in recent months. In March, a 48-year-old miner died in a similar cave-in in Cuima. At the national level, artisanal mining accidents remain a growing safety hazard. In May, Angola recorded its deadliest gold mine collapse to date when a cave-in in Canacassala, Bengo province, claimed 29 lives.
