By Oscar Nkala
One miner was killed and three others seriously injured when loose rocks fell into a busy underground mining shaft of the Chinese-owned Column Coal Mine in Zambia on Wednesday.
Column Coal Mine Industries Limited Zambia underground manager Elvis Ngandu told local media that the rock-fall incident happened as the miners were loading coal into underground conveyor trucks.
The deceased died on the spot after being struck on the head by a rock that tumbled in from the top of the shaft. Ngandu said operations at the shaft have been suspended to allow for accident investigations pending repairs and stabilisation works.
Several Zambian government agencies are expected to join the investigation into the accident, which came amid concerns that most Chinese mining operations in the country are not adhering to the basic rules of miner and workplace safety.
