Police spokesperson in Dowa Richard Kaponda have identified the two women as 38 year old Evelyn Lucas and Namoyo Mwangeyi, 45 all from Makombe village in chief Chiwere`s area in Dowa.
Kaponda said seven other women who were at the sand mine tried in vain to rescue the two women, saying after this failed, the reported the matter to police.
The police, Kaponda said, have since issued instructions against mining the sand at the place which is located in the village of Makombe, saying the mine has been closed.
This is the third time that people have died in local mining and the police are warning people to be extra careful when sand mining.