Two women lost their lives while several others sustained injuries after a quarry collapsed in Malindi, Kilifi County, on Thursday, May 8.
According to reports, the tragedy occurred in the Muyeye area and was attributed to heavy rains that have been pounding the region.
Malindi Deputy County Commissioner David Lusava confirmed the incident, noting that the victims were mining stones when the collapse occurred.
Residents quickly began rescue efforts, with the search for missing persons commencing shortly after the incident. Red Cross personnel were also on site to provide treatment to the injured.
There was confusion over the exact number of people at the site, with one of the rescued miners saying there were only four of them. At the same time, authorities maintained that five individuals were initially reported to be inside the quarry.
Because of this, the Red Cross urged anyone with a missing relative working at the site on Thursday to submit their names to assist in efforts to determine how many people may still be trapped.
An excavator has since been deployed to the site to aid in clearing the rubble, with authorities confirming another machine would be added to speed up rescue efforts.
Deputy County Commissioner Lusava further noted that the government had shut down the quarry last year due to its safety hazards. This, however, did not stop area locals from operating in the area despite the risks.
In a bid to curb unlawful mining, the government recently announced a renewed crackdown, which involves the coordination of specialised police units attached to the State Department of Mining.
This could potentially make the restructured units more effective in handling mining-related crimes.
Further, the Interior CS also announced plans to sensitise communities where mining operations are carried out in a bid to create awareness about the dangers of unlawful mining and its consequences on the environment.
In addition, the government intends to co-opt mining officers into the security structure at the grassroots on a need basis. This essentially means that mining officers will be deployed directly in areas where unlawful mining is extremely problematic.
