28 dead in Angola gold mine collapse, nearly half from the same family

Luanda, May 25 (CNA) - According to Angolan officials and local media reports, an illegal small-scale gold mine in the northern part of this African country collapsed recently, killing at least 28 miners, with nearly half of the victims coming from the same family. AFP reported that a police officer told state-run Angola Television (TPA) that the mine collapse occurred early on the 23rd in Bengo province, northeast of the capital, Luanda, and authorities have recovered 28 bodies of victims aged between 18 and 45. The officer stated yesterday, 'These young men were mining gold, a strategic mineral, in the area when the mine suddenly collapsed,' emphasizing that authorities are continuing to search for other potential victims. Disaster relief officials told local media that 13 of the 28 dead were from the same family. Angola possesses rich mineral resources including diamonds, gold, and others, which are said to attract thousands of men to work in unregulated and illegal mining areas in the country, including people from neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo. According to the Angola Press Agency, officials in Bengo province estimate that about 7,000 illegal miners are mining gold in the area.