A 10-year-old boy was buried alive when a hole collapsed on him while he was digging for food at a rubbish dump outside Butterworth on Thursday morning, said police.

Captain Jackson Manatha said residents of the Smith and Skiet informal settlements usually went to the tip, near the old Butterworth graveyard, do dig for the meat, tins and other expired foodstuff buried there by local shop owners.

Mlingiswa and a friend went there at 9am. He was "deep in the hole" when the earth he had dug out collapsed on him, burying him alive.

His friend ran for help. The local community, Mlingiswa's parents, and the police watched as municipal disaster management officials removed the earth.

"The boy was found already dead with a spade inside the old food hole".

Manatha said an inquest docket had been opened.

Sapa