28 Miners Buried Alive in Angola Gold Mine Collapse

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - The informal mining sector in Africa has claimed more lives after a traditional excavation project suffered a fatal accident. The ground collapse reportedly killed dozens of local workers actively digging in the mine shafts.

Citing AFP reports on Monday, 25 May 2026, a small-scale artisanal gold mine collapsed in northern Angola over the weekend, killing at least 28 miners. Local authorities reported that nearly half of the victims were from the same family.

Angola’s abundant natural resources, including diamonds and other minerals such as gold, have attracted thousands of men seeking their fortune. These workers, including those from neighbouring countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, have resorted to unregulated illegal mining sites.

Authorities recovered the bodies of 28 individuals aged between 18 and 45 following the Saturday morning collapse in Bengo province, northeast of the capital Luanda. A local police official provided a detailed account of the collapse to national television station TPA on Sunday.

“These young men were extracting strategic minerals, specifically gold, in the area when the mine collapsed,” the police official stated.

He added that rescue teams are continuing search operations at the site in anticipation of finding more bodies.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson from the local rescue department confirmed the same casualty figures to local media, noting that 13 of the deceased were from the same family.

Angola Press Agency reported that Bengo government officials estimate around 7,000 illegal miners are currently active in gold extraction in the province. However, monitoring these illicit operations remains a significant challenge amid rising global gold prices.