A goldmine caved in on Thursday, February 9 burying 15 young men in Sigalagala Village in Kakamega County.
In a statement seen by Kenyans.co.ke, the National Police Service (NPS) revealed that eight people had been rescued while seven were still trapped under the rubble.
"This morning at around 2 am, a goldmine caved in burying 15 young men in Sigalagala Village in Kakamega County.
"NPS Officers and County Government Officers together with emergency response teams from the County, Red Cross and the locals are on the scene helping with the rescue mission," read the statement.
According to the NPS, eight people were rescued and rushed to Kakamega General Hospital and were in stable condition, while 7 others were still trapped.
The police service equally intimated that rescue operations were currently underway to save the lives of the trapped miners.
In a video seen by Kenyans.co.ke survivors of the mine collapse were seen being pulled up from the mine by rescuers while being taken to receive treatment.
Gold mining is one of the economic activities in Kakamega county.
Miners have on several occasions been called upon by the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) not to expose themselves to health risks due to their poor working conditions.
This was due to their failure to use safety gear such as ear plugs, safety glasses, masks, gloves and gumboots when extracting gold.
In 2021, a family in Siaya County spent Christmas at a gold mine site after one of their kinsmen was buried under the rubble in South Sakwa on December 2, 2021.
The miner's body was buried under the debris, 25 days after the accident.
