One person died and two were injured in the collapse of an illegal mine in the province of Zambézia, raising to 10 the number of deaths in less than a week in similar accidents in central Mozambique.
© Reuters
13/09/2026
by
Lusa
O incident occurred in the town of Moiane, district of Gilé, in the province of Zambézia, in another deadly case caused by a landslide in an illegal mining operation, today the district administrator told the media.
“ We are talking about three [persons] who were, unfortunately, falling into this disaster of collapse”, said Pascoal Sitóe, adding that the victims were from the province of Nampula, in the north of the country, and were in the place for the practice of mining for the support of families.
The leader also stated that the authorities seek to strengthen surveillance in that area, although remember that previous similar actions resulted in the destruction of a police post and other establishments by popular people who refused State intervention.
“ That place is very far from our area of intervention as a local government. It is being difficult, the police themselves are not being given much to do the intervention ", said Pascoal Sitóe.
This is another case of landslide associated with illegal mining with fatalities and which raises to 10 the number of deaths recorded in less than a week in provinces of the center of Mozambique where the practice of mining is frequent.
The most recent case occurred in the district of Vanduzi, in Manica province, also in the center of the country, where at least nine people died in three days due to landslides in illegal mining areas, according to district administrator Armindo Canhenze.
On Friday, Armindo Canhenze said that six people died in the early hours of Thursday in a collapse occurred in that area of illegal exploitation, after two fatalities registered on Wednesday and one on Tuesday, in similar incidents in the same province.
According to the administrator, the demand for gold caused the progressive expansion of the excavated area, which reached about 20 meters deep and 25 meters in diameter.
The excavation began about a foot deep after the discovery of gold on site, attracting successively more prospectors. Armindo Canhenze warned that the concentration of hundreds or thousands of people, especially during the rainy season, weakens the terrain and increases the risk of burial.
Accidents occur at a time when the Mozambican authorities have expressed growing concern about illegal and uncontrolled mining in Manica due to the risks to communities, environmental impacts and illicit exploitation of mineral resources.
Faced with the situation, Mozambican President Daniel Chapo said on Saturday that the approval, in the coming days, of the regulation of the new Mine Law will allow reorganizing the sector and strengthening the control of mining activity, preventing accidents associated with illegal exploitation.
According to Chapo, the new regulation should strengthen the monitoring and control mechanisms for mining, contributing to reducing incidents caused by the illegal exploitation of mineral resources in other provinces of the country, including Manica.
In July, the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) warned of the presence of minors in illegal mining activities in that province, after having identified about 900 dig sites where several people worked, including children under the age of 15.