One killed, two injured after gold mine collapses in Kakamega

A miner was killed after he and others ventured into a shaft to mine gold at a site in Matindi Village, Kakamega County.

Two others were seriously injured in the Saturday, March 8 incident, police said.

It was the second weekend a death incident was reported at a goldmine site.

According to police, three people had ventured into the shaft in Kakamega for excavation of gold.

The shaft is adjacent to River Yala.

It was then that it collapsed, trapping them.

Two were rescued alive, while the other died on the spot, police said.

The injured individuals were rushed to Iguhu Level Four Hospital for medical treatment.

The body of the deceased was taken to Mbale Sub County Hospital Morgue for a postmortem examination.

 Another similar incident was reported in West Pokot at the weekend, where two women were killed.

Four others were injured in the Saturday incident that occured 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.

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.

In the same 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, in the afternoon as a group ventured into a tunnel for the minerals. 

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 walls, 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 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.

The miners, however, have ignored the directives, hence endangering their lives.