Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
At least ten small scale miners known as Jerabos have died after the copper slug dump commonly known as Black Mountain in Kitwe collapsed on them this morning as they were carrying out mining activities.
Fifty miners were carrying out the mining activities when the portion of the mountain gave in.
The number of those dead could rise.
Copperbelt Police Commissioner Charity Katanga has told Q-news in a telephone interview from the scene of the accident that seven others have been injured.
She says the injured have been rushed to Kitwe Teaching Hospital while the rescue operation is continuing.
Ms Katanga could however, not state whether the number of those dead could rise as the rescue operation continues.
Government recently gave the small scale miners 10 percent ownership of the copper slug dump.
However, their mining activities at the black mountain have recently raised safety concerns after some houses nearby developed cracks and had their ceiling boards falling following blasting activities by the small scale miners.
But Mines Minister Richard Musukwa recently quoted saying that government will not compromise on safety at the mining slag dump, adding that the operations at the black mountain were safe.
He further dismissed assertions that the black mountain was a disaster in waiting.