Lusaka — Miners at two copper mines in Zambia were rescued after being trapped underground following a nationwide power outage, the energy ministry said on Monday.
Zambia suffered a nationwide blackout following a power system disturbance, the southern African nation’s state utility Zesco said on Sunday, which also affected neighbouring Zimbabwe.
Zambia and Zimbabwe are experiencing prolonged hours of electricity rationing after the worst drought in decades in the region hit hydropower generation.
Zambia’s energy permanent secretary Peter Mumba said miners were trapped at Mopani Copper Mines, which is majority owned by United Arab Emirates’ International Resources Holding, and at another Chinese mine.
He did not say how many miners were trapped but said all of them had been rescued.
Supply to all mining companies in Africa’s second-largest copper producer was fully restored by around 0130 GMT and by 0400 GMT to the rest of the country, Zesco Acting Managing Director Justin Longo said.
Longo said the reason for the outage was being investigated, adding it could not have been caused by power generation at the Kariba dam as the output there was very low.
Zambia’s largest hydroelectric power plant, the Kariba North Bank Power Station with an installed capacity of 1080 megawatts (MW), is currently producing only 120 MW due to lack of water.
“We are just keeping the plant running with one unit, which is not even running at maximum capacity,” said Mukupa Mulenga, the station’s maintenance manager.
Reporting by Chris Mfula; Editing by Bhargav Acharya and Ed Osmond – Reuters
