Angolan authorities are investigating the deaths of three workers at a poultry facility in Bengo Province, reportedly due to asphyxiation, the Criminal Investigation Service (SIC) confirmed.
The incident occurred at Fazenda Filomena in the Panguila municipality, Icolo e Bengo Province, where a maintenance technician, a forklift operator, and an assistant died inside a subterranean sunflower oil storage tank while collecting samples.
“The victims were exposed to toxic substances without proper protection, leading to loss of consciousness and ultimately death,” the SIC said in a statement.
Authorities conducted a judicial inspection at the site and continue investigative work in collaboration with local authorities to clarify the circumstances of the deaths. The workers died last Wednesday, and rescue efforts were delayed. They were transported by the National Institute of Medical Emergencies (INEMA) to the Bengo General Hospital, Reverendo Miguel Pereira Inglês, where they were declared dead on arrival.
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Two other workers who attempted to assist their colleagues also required medical attention after exposure to the same hazardous environment. One survivor recounted entering the tunnel after hearing calls for help but quickly struggled to breathe and could only watch as his colleagues succumbed to the toxic conditions.
Fazenda Filomena is one of Angola’s major agro-industrial units, focusing on poultry and egg production, with an estimated output of around one million eggs daily, alongside animal feed and organic fertilizer production.
As of now, the company’s management has not issued a statement. The Lusa news agency reached out to the General Labor Inspectorate for comment but did not receive a response.
