A SHIMABALA quarry worker has died along with a colleague after being trapped inside a stone crusher during an afternoon shift yesterday.
The deceased, Kizito Gumbo, 38, and Joe Chikole Mwiinga, 37, both residents of Shimabala, were carrying out routine duties at Tianyu Stone Quarry when the crushing machine, running at full capacity, claimed their lives around 12:30 hours.
Police say the incident occurred as tipper trucks offloaded stones and workers carried out daily tasks around the crushing plant.
According to authorities, a fellow employee monitoring the conveyor belts noticed unusual movement among the stones and quickly shut down the machine before alerting the management.
Police spokesperson Godfrey Chilabi confirmed that the mine manager, Wang Xianfa, 58, reported the fatalities to Chilanga Police Station, prompting an immediate response from officers.
“The crusher continued running until another employee noticed human remains on the conveyor belts. He immediately switched off the machine and reported the incident to mine management,” Chilabi said.
The remains were later collected and transported to University Teaching Hospital mortuary, where postmortem examinations are expected to be conducted.
Police have engaged the Mines Safety Department and other regulatory authorities to carry out a joint investigation into the circumstances surrounding the accident.
An inquiry file has been opened and the public will be informed once investigations are concluded.
By Haggai Hamunyemba
Kalemba, March 14, 2026
