Zambian Miners Rescued After Being Trapped During Nationwide Blackout

Joy ChukwuNovember 26, 20241 Mins read18

The country’s Energy Ministry reported that miners from two copper mines in Zambia were safely rescued after being trapped underground due to a nationwide power outage on Sunday.

According to the ministry’s Permanent Secretary Peter Mumba, the incident occurred at a Chinese-operated mine in Chambishi and Mopani Mine at Mindolo Shaft.

During the power outage, there were two mines that had people trapped underground. These mines included a Chinese mine in Chambishi and Mopani Mine at Mindolo Shaft. Kindly note that the people who were trapped were all safely rescued as the mines were supplied with an alternative power supply, Mumba said during a briefing at the Energy Regulation Board’s central office in the capital city of Lusaka.

Zambia’s state-owned utility company, ZESCO Limited, began restoring power immediately after the outage. The healthcare sector was reportedly unaffected, as medical facilities operated on emergency power backup systems.

ZESCO’s acting Managing Director, Justin Longo, stated that the cause of the blackout is under investigation.

The energy shortages stem from the worst regional drought in over a century that has drastically reduced water levels in Lake Kariba, threatening power supplies from the Kariba Dam, which provides electricity to Zambia and Zimbabwe.

President Hakainde Hichilema declared a national state of emergency in February due to reduced food production and power generation. The government has been seeking local and international assistance to address the crisis.

Earlier this month, President Hichilema announced that Zambia is considering a $900 million proposal from the Chinese-owned Wonderful Group to construct a 600-megawatt coal-fired power plant to address the severe electricity shortages caused by declining hydropower generation.