Three Die as Illegal Mine Walls Collapse in Malawi

Yamikani Mlozoa

Three people have been reported dead in a space of four days after illegal mines collapsed on them in Malawi’s lakeshore district of Mangochi, killing them while mining precious stones known as corundum and gold, police confirmed Wednesday, Jan 15.

Police Spokesperson for the district, Inspector Rodrick Maida, told local media that two died last Friday and the third one died Monday this week when the walls of a tunnel at the illegal mine collapsed on them.

According to the police, the two young men were age- mates (22), while the third one was 21 and they all hailed from within the lakeshore district

“Both incidents occurred at Makanjira where the three were mining the precious stones.” explained the police spokesperson.

He said all the bodies were recovered and identified by fellow illegal miners who rushed with them to hospital where postmortem indicated that they died due to suffocation.

According to the police, the two young men were age- mates (22), while the third one was 21 and they all hailed from within the lakeshore district.

The police could not establish the cause of the collapse but local residents around the area attributed it to heavy rains the area received in the week.

For some years now, illegal miners, both locals and foreigners from across the continent and beyond, have been reportedly exploiting mineral deposits of gold and corundum at the site.

In 2018 Malawi government authorities arrested over 100 illegal miners in the area for encroaching protected area and opening illegal mines, but people are still operating the mines.

The illegal mining activities take place in Namizimu Forest Reserve near the border with Mozambique.

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