By MOFFAT CHAZINGWA –

A MINER has been killed and seven others injured following an underground mine accident at Konkola Copper Mines (KCM)’s Number One Shaft in Chililabombwe.
Operations at the mine shaft have since been halted to allow for investigations into the incident.
The accident happened on Tuesday afternoon when the cage that was transporting 41 miners up the mine shaft tripped, killing one miner in the process.
Seven others were injured and were admitted to hospital, while the rest in the cage were unhurt.
KCM manager for public relations and communications Shapi Shachinda and Mineworkers Union of Zambia (MUZ) general secretary Joseph Chewe yesterday confirmed the fatal accident.
Mr Shachinda identified the deceased as Justin Chibwe, 36, an employee of a KCM contractor, Kamulete.
He said in a statement that Mr Chibwe was killed in the accident around 16:30 hours while in a cage with 41 other miners.
“Justine Chibwe, 36 years, a workman with contractor Kamulete, was fatally injured following a cage incident,” Mr Shachinda said.
Mr Shachinda said operations at Number One Shaft had since been suspended to facilitate for internal investigations together with the Mines Safety Department.
Mr Chewe described the accident as unfortunate, especially that a similar incident involving the tripping of a cage was recorded a fews months ago.
He said there was need to improve safety measures in all mine operations to guarantee the safety of miners.
Meanwhile, two people have been severely been burnt in Kitwe after a vehicle they were repairing caught fire and burst into flames.
The gutted vehicle was parked at flat number one of Government’s Federal Flats, which also barely survived the inferno following quick response by the Kitwe City Council fire brigade that managed to quench the flames just when the building was beginning to catch fire.
Kitwe Police Commanding Officer Lizzy Machina, who rushed to the scene around 14:00 hours and owner of the flat confirmed the incident.
Ms Machina said she received a report about the inferno around 14:00 hours and she immediately rushed there.
She said upon getting there, she found two people, a mechanic only identified as Mulenga and his helper had sustained severe burns.
“From the information I have gathered, the accident happened when the mechanic was repairing the vehicle and in the process, there was a spark which ignited the fire,” she said.
John Chisefu, own of the affected flat, said he left the mechanic repairing the vehicle in the morning and that he only received a phone call in the afternoon that there was an fire at his residence.