Martinho Kavita said that the accident happened on Monday, when a group of young men and women were allegedly illegally mining for gold in a mining area in the municipality of Ukuma.
According to Martinho Kavita, the search is ongoing to rescue the remaining people who were at the site, according to witnesses.
The police spokesperson in Huambo indicated that the defense and security agencies have been working to discourage this practice, “a phenomenon that is gradually trying to gain ground” in that region.
“We have some outbreaks throughout the province, in this region in the west of the province, we also have some outbreaks in the Chicala-Choloanga area, in the eastern part of the province, and some outbreaks in the northern part, especially in the Bailundo area,” he explained.
The official stressed that this is the first case registered this year, which came to the attention of the police through local authorities.
In 2021, in a similar accident, 16 gold miners died following a landslide in Huambo.
