Mopani Mine Wins 2nd Place at Global Mine Rescue Competition
Mopani Copper Mines PLC has earned international recognition after its Mufulira Mine Rescue Team secured second place overall at the 2026 International Mines Rescue Competition (IMRC), held in Zambia.
The biennial global event brought together elite mine rescue teams from more than 10 countries, including Canada, Australia, India, China, and several African nations, to compete in rigorous emergency response simulations.
The competition assessed teams across six disciplines: underground simulation, firefighting, rope rescue, first aid, equipment testing, and team skills, under the supervision of over 40 international judges.
Coal India was crowned overall winner, while Glencore Kidd Mine of Canada finished in third place. The results were announced by IMRC 2026 Chief Judge, Shawn Rideout, at an awards gala in Livingstone.
In a standout moment for Zambia and Africa, Rideout announced Mopani’s achievement as runners-up.
“The overall second-best winner is a team from Zambia – Mopani Mufulira Mine Rescue Team,” he said.
The team also excelled individually, finishing second in Rope Rescue, while rescue technician Wellingtone Bwalya secured second place in the Equipment Technician category. The result marks the first time in over a century of the competition that an African team has achieved a second-place overall finish.
Mopani Copper Mines CEO, Charles Sakanya, described the achievement as evidence of the company’s strong commitment to safety and operational excellence.
“This global achievement demonstrates the world-class competence, discipline and professionalism of our workforce. It reflects our continued investment in safe mining operations and emergency preparedness,” he said.
He added that safety remains central to Mopani’s operations, beyond regulatory compliance.
“At Mopani, safety is a core value that guides everything we do. We are proud that our investment in training, infrastructure and emergency systems is delivering globally competitive results,” he said.
As part of preparations for hosting the competition, Mopani invested over US$1 million in upgrading rescue infrastructure, including a modern communication and control centre, improvements to underground facilities at Mufulira West Portal, and enhancements at the Mopani Central Training Centre.
The 2026 IMRC was jointly hosted by Mopani Copper Mines in Mufulira and First Quantum Minerals’ Kansanshi Mine in Solwezi, making Zambia the first African country to host the prestigious global event.
