9 men have died after a pile of gravel collapsed on them in a quarry in Zambia, police say

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LUSAKA, Zambia (AP) — Nine men died when a large pile of gravel collapsed on them while they were working in a quarry in Zambia, police said Monday.

The men were operating illegally in the quarry and were loading gravel onto a truck, police spokesperson Rae Hamoonga said. The driver of the truck survived with injuries and was taken to the hospital.

The collapse happened Sunday in a quarry in Chongwe about 50 kilometers (31 miles) east of the capital, Lusaka.

Eight bodies were recovered on Sunday before the rescue operation was suspended when night fell. A ninth body was pulled out on Monday, police said.

Chongwe District Commissioner Evans Lupiya said the men and the truck were buried under the gravel. Police have opened an investigation.

Zambia has had several fatal accidents involving men operating illegally in quarries or mines.

In December, nearly 30 informal miners died at an open-pit copper mine in the north of the country when heavy trains triggered landslides that buried them alive inside tunnels.

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AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa