At least two women were killed and four other people injured
on Saturday when a gold mine they were in collapsed in Kambi Karaya village, Sigor,
West Pokot County.
Police said the injured were rushed to the hospital and were in
stable condition.
West Pokot County Commissioner Khalif Abdullahi said the
mine caved in around 12.30 pm while workers were inside.
The victims’ bodies were retrieved and handed over to their
families for burial.
The injured survivors were rescued by fellow miners and
villagers before being taken to a nearby health facility for treatment.
Abdullahi confirmed to the public that authorities
would investigate the cause of the collapse.
The collapse is the latest in a series of fatal mining
accidents in the region.
In December, four people were buried alive in a similar
incident at the same site.
Last week, an 18-year-old woman was killed while mining gold
in Korosion village along the banks of the River Turkwel.
Last week, at least five female artisanal miners died in a
tragic accident at the Lumba gold mine in North Ramba, Rarieda sub-county,
Siaya County.
Police said the incident happened on Monday, March 3, in the afternoon, as a group ventured into a tunnel for the minerals.
One woman was missing after the collapse, and efforts to
bring her to safety went to the night, police said.
The incident comes a week after three artisanal miners lost
their lives in a similar gold mine accident in Rera village, Gem Wagai
sub-county, raising concerns over safety in local mining operations.
The women, who were reportedly six in number, were
performing routine mining tasks when the mining shaft suddenly caved in around
3:00 p.m., burying them alive.
Such incidents are common in gold mining sites amid calls
for safety to address them.
The miners are accused of using heavy machines to excavate
the products, which weakens the wall, hence the collapse.
West Pokot is among those with gold deposits and hence
attracts residents who venture there to make a living.
Similar incidents have also been reported in other parts of
the country, including in Lirhembe village, Ikolomani in Kakamega county and
another in Manyatta village, Vihiga county.
To deal with some of these challenges, the government has
also directed that those involved in mining activities should stop operations for
the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) to conduct an
environmental impact assessment to give the ecological guidelines before mining
operations can resume.
