A 13-year-old girl from Chilobe Village in Simwatachela Chiefdom, Zimba district, In Zambia, has died after a pit in an illegal mine in the Chisikili area collapsed and buried her.

The victim, Teresia Siamwezi, was reported to have died on 20th August 2024, around 15:00 hours.

On a fateful day, Teresia was with her stepmother and two siblings, undertaking mining activities in Chisikili, about 5 kilometres from their village.

Southern Province Commissioner of Police, Auxensio Daka, confirmed that around noon, the pit they were digging collapsed, completely burying Teresia and partially burying her stepmother.

Another woman engaged in similar activities nearby called for help from a 67-year-old man also mining in the area.

They managed to retrieve Teresia’s lifeless body. The stepmother survived with a minor injury to her left leg.

Police officers who arrived at the scene learned that the mine is owned by an Indian man whose license was revoked in September 2023 by the Ministry of Mines.

Villagers have been conducting illegal mining activities at the site since then.