At least 28 people have been killed and two remain missing after a landslide hit an illegal gold mine in Angola’s Bengo province, authorities said Monday. The collapse occurred Sunday when earth gave way at an unlicensed mining operation outside the provincial capital. Emergency crews pulled bodies from the rubble throughout the night. Provincial officials said the death toll was expected to rise as search operations continued. Illegal mining is widespread across Angola’s interior, where informal miners often work without safety equipment or regulatory oversight. Collapses at unguarded shaft sites are common but rarely draw national attention. Bengo province, north of Luanda, has seen a surge in unlicensed gold prospecting over the past two years as commodity prices drew new workers to rural areas. Authorities said they were investigating the site owner and would pursue charges under Angolan mining law. The government has long struggled to regulate a diffuse network of artisanal mining operations that employ tens of thousands of workers outside the formal economy. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Angola Mine Collapse
