Miners in Zambia narrowly escaped disaster after a nationwide blackout trapped them underground at two major copper mines. The Mopani Copper Mines and another Chinese-owned operation were hit by the outage, attributed to a power system disturbance during the country's prolonged energy crisis. Rescuers managed to bring all workers to safety without casualties.
The crisis highlighted Zambia's energy vulnerability, worsened by the region's worst drought in decades. Hydropower plants, including Kariba North Bank, are producing only minimal output due to critical water shortages.
The power disruption impacted Africa's second-largest copper producer, halting production temporarily. However, electricity was restored to mining companies by early Monday, according to Zesco. The incident underscores the sector's dependence on stable power and raises questions about infrastructure resilience.
Officials are investigating the cause of the blackout, ruling out direct links to hydropower generation. This crisis exposes the urgent need for investment in alternative energy sources to support Zambia's vital copper industry.
As Zambia grapples with increasing energy instability, its copper sector—central to the economy—faces mounting pressure. Power reliability remains crucial to sustaining operations in one of Africa's largest mining hubs.
