KAKAMEGA, Kenya – A miner was killed, and two others were seriously injured when a gold mining shaft collapsed in Matindi Village, Kakamega County, on Saturday, March 8.
Authorities said the three had ventured into the underground shaft near River Yala in search of gold when the structure gave way, trapping them inside.
While two were rescued alive and rushed to Iguhu Level Four Hospital, the third miner died on the spot.
His body was taken to Mbale Sub-County Hospital Morgue for a postmortem examination.
The fatal incident is the latest in a growing pattern of mining accidents across the country.
It marked the second consecutive weekend that a miner lost their life at a goldmine site.
Just hours after the Kakamega tragedy, another mining shaft caved in at Kambi Karaya village in Sigor, West Pokot County, killing two women and injuring four others.
West Pokot County Commissioner Khalif Abdullahi said the mine collapsed around 12:30 p.m. while workers were inside.
Fellow miners and villagers managed to rescue the injured survivors, who were taken to a local hospital for treatment.
The victims’ bodies were retrieved and handed over to their families for burial.
The frequent mine collapses have raised concerns over safety in artisanal mining, where informal miners often work under dangerous conditions without protective measures.
In December, four people were buried alive at the same West Pokot site.
Last week alone, multiple deaths were reported in gold mining incidents across the country.
An 18-year-old woman died while mining along the River Turkwel in Korosion Village, while five women were killed at the Lumba gold mine in North Ramba, Siaya County, after a tunnel collapsed.
Despite repeated warnings from authorities, unregulated mining continues to endanger lives.
Government agencies, including the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), have urged miners to halt operations until proper safety assessments are conducted, but these directives are often ignored.
