By James Kunda
LUSAKA, Zambia (AA) - Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema called Tuesday for the speedy rescue of 31 miners who have been trapped under mud for nearly five days at the Seseli open-pit mine in the copper-belt city of Chingola.
The state of the miners remains unknown amid intensive efforts to free them by rescuers and military personnel using heavy equipment.
Visiting the site, Hichilema remained optimistic that they would all be rescued as the exercise was progressively gaining momentum.
"We would like to commend the dedicated men and women involved in the rescue operation for their heroic efforts amid numerous challenges. A lot of work has been done and we need to continue, with speed, to ensure that our miners are retrieved as soon as possible," he said.
He consoled the affected families, asking them to remain calm and not to lose hope.
Hichilema also donated 10,000 Kwachas ($417) to each of the affected families, adding his administration will empower small-scale miners with skills and equipment to promote safe mining and prevent future accidents.
Despite being one of the continent's mining giants, Zambia remains prone to sporadic incidents of mining deaths, especially in relation to artisanal and small-scale mining.
This has been exacerbated by a historical syndrome of scavenging on old slug dumps with are usually exploited for remnant pieces of metal which when refined still meet the market value for a fortune.