LUSAKA, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Three illegal miners died after being trapped in a mine where they were digging for suspected gold in northwestern Zambia's Kasempa District, police said on Tuesday.
Rae Hamoonga, the police spokesperson, said the accident happened in the early hours of Tuesday at a mine where the illegal miners had gone to dig for gold.
He said in a statement that when the police arrived at the scene, they found that the three miners had already been retrieved by people believed to be their friends.
Mine accidents involving illegal miners are common in Zambia. Last year, more than 30 illegal miners were trapped at a mine in Chingola District in Copperbelt Province after tunnels collapsed due to heavy rains.
The government has since declared war on illegal mining, and has urged people wishing to engage in mining to apply for a license so that their operations are legalized, according to safety standards.
