No fewer than 28 people have been confirmed dead after an illegal gold mine collapsed in Angola’s Bengo Province, located northeast of the capital, Luanda.
Authorities disclosed the incident on Sunday, saying the tragedy occurred a day earlier while illegal miners were operating at the site.
Police spokesperson Gaspar Luis Inacio stated that the collapse happened on Saturday, leaving two persons still unaccounted for as emergency teams continue search and rescue efforts for victims believed to be trapped beneath the rubble.
According to officials, the victims were between the ages of 18 and 40.
Among those killed were 13 members of the same family who were buried during the landslide triggered by the mine collapse.
At the Bengo Central Hospital, health supervisor Francisco Rodrigues confirmed that at least three injured victims had been treated following the disaster.
“All three patients are conscious and out of danger. There is no immediate need for transfer to other medical facilities,” Rodrigues told reporters.
Illegal artisanal mining remains common in several parts of Angola, where miners often operate under unsafe conditions without regulatory supervision. Fatal accidents linked to such activities occur regularly, although many attract little global attention.
The latest incident comes at a time of rising global gold prices, fueled by the Iran war and prevailing economic uncertainty, factors that have reportedly intensified informal mining activities across mineral-rich African nations.
