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AzerNEWS Staff

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At least 28 people have died and two others remain missing after an illegally operated gold mine collapsed in northern Angola, authorities said on Sunday.

The tragedy occurred on Saturday in Agola, located in Angola’s Bengo Province, northeast of the capital, Luanda, when a landslide struck an unauthorized mining site and buried dozens of workers.

According to a police statement, the victims were between 18 and 40 years old. Among those killed were 13 members of the same family, highlighting the devastating human toll of the disaster.

Police spokesman Gaspar Luis Inacio said rescue teams were continuing search operations for two individuals believed to remain trapped beneath the debris.

Emergency services and local authorities rushed to the scene following the collapse, while hospitals in the region treated survivors rescued from the site.

At the central hospital in Bengo, health supervisor Francisco Rodrigues confirmed that at least three injured victims received medical treatment.

“All three patients are conscious and out of danger. There is no immediate need for transfer to other medical facilities,” Rodrigues told reporters.

Illegal mining remains a persistent challenge in parts of Angola, where impoverished communities often turn to informal extraction activities despite significant safety risks. Mining accidents linked to unstable excavation sites and poor safety standards have resulted in numerous fatalities across Africa in recent years.

Authorities have not yet announced whether a formal investigation will be launched into the collapse, but the incident is likely to renew concerns over illegal mining operations and workplace safety in the country's resource-rich regions.