Four people have been confirmed dead and several others injured after a gold mine collapsed in Turkwel, West Pokot County.
The incident, which occurred in the early hours of Saturday, June 7, was confirmed by West Pokot County Commissioner Khalif Abdullahi.
The county commissioner stated that the mine collapsed at around 3:00 a.m. when the pit caved in, trapping the miners inside. He added that rescue operations were underway.
Among the deceased, three are male and one is female. Their bodies were taken to the Kapenguria County Referral Hospital mortuary for post-mortem examinations, while the injured, believed to be five, are receiving treatment at the same facility.
Reports indicated that the miners had returned to the site at night using picks and hoes, unaware that the soil had become loose after excavators had dug the pit during the day.
Attributing the incident to the illegal mining menace prevalent in West Pokot, Abdullahi took a swipe at local leaders for inciting locals against the police who were conducting emergency rescue.
“Some leaders are misguiding the public and inciting them against law enforcement. The issue of mining must be approached carefully, and leaders must understand the laws and regulations governing mining operations,” Khalif said.
West Pokot Governor Simon Kachapin expressed his sorrow over the incident, extending heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and calling for urgent action to improve safety in mining areas.
“This is a painful moment for our county. I send my sincere sympathies to the families of those who lost their lives and wish a speedy recovery to the injured. We must work together to ensure such tragedies are prevented in future by enforcing safety regulations and protecting the lives of our people,” said Governor Kachapin.
Illegal commercial mining in West Pokot has grown rampant, with such operations continuing without caution despite repeated warnings from both local leaders and the national government.
The latest follows a spate of gold mine collapses, with the most recent one happening in Nyaguda Sub Location, Bondo, Siaya County.
In the tragic occurrence, at least three artisal miners lost their lives after the collapse of an abandoned gold mine. The mining shaft collapsed on Tuesday, April 1, around 6 pm, while the trio were busy conducting mining activities inside the site.
Following the incident, residents, mostly fellow gold miners, rushed to the scene and began the process of retrieving the three, only to find them dead.
Speaking to the press hours after the tragic occurrence, the area village elder revealed that the gold miners were in the process of reopening the abandoned site when it suddenly caved in and buried them alive.
